Ran into the Night
by dweep
Summary: Their story is one of mistakes and forgiveness, and finding themselves and each other. She settled for him. But that didn't matter to him. He was hard to connect to. But she was too scared of being alone. She wanted more, but he only wanted more of her. It is only until trust is broken, that these two drift apart. (Changed summary! Also being rewritten!)
1. Ease

_Love is about feeling happy when you see the one you care about so much with a smile on their face._

 _But where was the happiness?_

 _He could only feel emptiness, loneliness, and heartache._

 _He knew their relationship wasn't perfect. He knew that he wasn't her first choice. He knew that she didn't love him as much as he did her. That didn't matter to him, all he wanted to do was to make her as happy as he could with what he had. But who was going to make him happy?_

* * *

"Hey Luce, I'm home! I got you some food!"

...

"Luce? Babe?"

Natsu closed the door behind him, and walked further into the apartment to the kitchen where there was a note waiting for him.

" _Gone out with Levy, will be home later tonight. -Lucy"_.

And with a sigh, he put the food on the table knowing that it was just going to be Happy and himself in the apartment that night. Again. Just another lonely night with of Natsu and the oddly blue cat, and as if on cue Happy was purring at his feet trying to gain the attention of his owner.

"Hey bud, I don't suppose you want to eat this other sandwich. It's a vietnamese sandwich", Natsu had asked when he crouched down to pet Happy on his fuzzy little head.

The cat's response to his question was a sneeze, and walked away to his food bowl.

"Fine, it's your loss."

Natsu felt a little disappointed his cat didn't want to spend some quality time with him, but it was Happy, he should have expected his cat to ditch him for food. With a low growl from his stomach, Natsu dug into the plastic bag to grab his sandwich and made his way to the couch. "Ya know it must be pretty good if Luce was craving it for the past week, you're missin' out bud". And with that, he took a bite into the vietnamese sandwich and moaned. " _MMMMMnnnnnn_. Oh my goodness. _Ooooooo_."

His first bite was filled with a symphony of flavors. There was the savoriness from the sauce and pork, the sweetness of the pickled carrots, the freshness of the cilantro, and the heat of the jalepeno. A literal minute later, Natsu had finished the sandwich and left the other for Lucy knowing that she would enjoy it as much as he did.

"Oh dang bud. Oh Happy. That was a good sandwich. You missed out pal." _And so did Luce_.

That thought made Natsu a little uncomfortable. Even though Natsu and Lucy had been living together for about 6 months, he didn't see his girlfriend very often. Lucy was usually busy studying for her classes and working. As for himself, Natsu was trying his best to juggle a part time job, classes, and train for his boxing matches. Natsu had a busy schedule, but every once in awhile, a.k.a. Saturdays, Natsu would chill at home with his cat and wait for his girlfriend to come back so they could spend some time together. But, lately it hasn't been like that at all. Lucy started to go out on Saturdays to hang with Levy and some other friends. Natsu didn't mind that Lucy was out with her friends and enjoying herself, but he was starting to feel lonely. Sure Natsu had Happy and friends of his own to hang out with, yet he craved a physical and emotional comfort that he could only really get from his girlfriend.

Thinking back on their relationship, Natsu began to recall the time that they met, and other memories that lead to their present.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

 _It was their junior year of highschool, and Lucy was the new kid at school. She was wandering around the halls like a lost puppy, and Natsu thought he could help her find her way to class with a bright smile on his face. And as it turned out, they shared a few classes together that allowed them to hang out some more. From there, they had become the best of friends. Natsu had introduced Lucy to his own group of friends, and she fit perfectly there. At his side._

 _By their senior year, Lucy was dating a cheating dirtbag boyfriend she was head over heels for, and Natsu was dating his childhood friend, Lisanna. Natsu loved Lisanna, and they lost their virginity to each other, but their relationship was missing something. Natsu just didn't have the same love for Lisanna that he did for Lucy, and Lisanna knew that. Their break up was bittersweet, but they stayed on good terms after their relationship ended. As for Lucy, she had the misfortunate opportunity to find out her boyfriend was making out with another girl at their graduation party, and to drown out her anger and sadness of breaking up with her boyfriend, Lucy found comfort in alcohol and Natsu. Natsu was pretty drunk himself, and was wandering around only to stumble across a sad drunk Lucy. He wrapped his arms around her weeping form, told her that she deserved so much more than her stupid ex, and kissed her on her forehead. It was then, their hug had gone from comfort to some intense kisses, and from there to Natsu's bed where he could shower her with love and affection to help her forget about her ex._

 _The next morning, Natsu had found himself naked and alone in his bed, with no Lucy to be found. It had been a whole week since Natsu had last seen her. He tried calling, texting, even going to her house to check up on her. It was until he had received word from his friend Levy, that Lucy needed some space and would talk to him when she was ready. Lucy and Levy were great friends who shared a love for literature, so the idea of Lucy having someone to talk to comforted Natsu. But it had still hurt him, that Lucy was kind of avoiding him. A few days later Lucy asked Natsu if they could meet up and talk about what happened. All Natsu could really remember was Lucy saying "I didn't know what I was doing", "I hope we can still go back to normal after this", and "It was a mistake"_. _He was hurt, but he would do anything to keep Lucy happy._

 _Natsu really tried his best to keep his girl happy. They were still friends after that forgotten night, and continued to be in college. Natsu went to community, and Lucy went to a state school. But they still found a way to hangout with each other. When they could find time, they usually would go over to each other's place to catch up on how their week was with some drinks, weed, or sex. Or maybe all three. They had formed this friends with benefits kind of relationship after their first year of college. It was a damn hard year, finals week was over, and they both deserved to let loose and to just fuck themselves up for a little bit, and they did fuck themselves actually. It was another night of drunken sex, and another morning for Natsu to wake up naked and alone. At least this time Lucy didn't avoid him for more than a week. Just 3 days to propose an idea to him. To be there for each other when they "needed" each other. To put it straight, become fuck buddies._

 _So they did, and their arrangement worked out for quite awhile, until one night an "I love you" slipped Natsu's tongue. Lucy practically ran out of his apartment, leaving Natsu to regret letting those three little words come out of his mouth. Natsu was still in love with Lucy, and was happy that he could be with her and make her happy even if they weren't dating each other. Yet, he knew that Lucy still didn't love him the same way, and he wondered if she ever would. The answer came in a way he didn't expect. Lucy's father had died, she had lost the only piece of family she had left in the world. Natsu had shown up at her doorstep with his condolences and his comfort, and within his comfort Lucy had realized something. She didn't want to be alone, and she knew Natsu would always be there for her, even if she didn't love him. From then on, they started to take their relationship to a more serious level. It wasn't the relationship Natsu truly wanted, but it was a start. And he was going to do everything he could do to show how grateful he was to Lucy for giving him a chance, with the same smile she met him with._

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Running a hand through his rose colored hair, Natsu sighed. He had come back home from work and a long line for a couple of sandwiches, he was tired. He lied down on the couch with his arms behind his head when Happy hopped onto his chest to have his loving owner pet him. Natsu figured it was a good time to play some nice tunes, _Walking on a Dream_ by Empire of the Sun. This song could always put his mind to ease, unlike the text he just got from Lucy.

" _Hey don't wait up for me, I'm spending the night at Levy's place again."_

Another night of sleeping alone. Might as well get real shit-faced then. So he went onto the small balcony of the apartment to let his mind leave him for the night.

* * *

A/N: So this is my first story, it was actually inspired by another story but I forgot what it was called. Anywho, I'm tried my best, also I may or may not have been stoned myself as I wrote this. Just a little bit, not a lot. I'm not that experienced with writing stories, and I just wanted to write this story just because. I was just shot with lightning bolt inspiration to write, and usually i get that for drawing. I was literally just up all night writing this. I don't know how to feel about it, so… please review and tell me what you thought. If anyone out there is reading this.


	2. Lost

Happy woke up from chills that came with the cold air of the apartment. Getting up from his perch of his scratching post to investigate the source of the cold, to find that the sliding glass door of the apartment was still open. On the other side of the glass door was Happy's passed out owner, with some drool dripping from his mouth. Hopping onto the chest of his owner Happy yowled to wake up is owner, but was met with a groan.

"uuGhhh"

"Mrraawwwww"

"UUuuughhh"

As Happy was about to continue in his attempts of waking up Natsu, the mischievous was startled by the sound of Natsu's phone.

 _*WAKE ME UP! BEFORE YOU GO GO!*_

"NNYYAA"

"HUH?! WHAT? WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

 _*DON'T LEAVE ME HANGIN ON LIKE A YO-YO*_

"Ughhhh, stupid fucking alarm"

According to Natsu's phone, it was 4:30 in the morning. What an ungodly hour to be awake, but he loved the feeling of running at this time. The early morning in the city brought in a blue atmosphere with a fog that blanketed over the buildings below, and only the tops of skyscrapers poked out from the fog. Breathing in the clean misty air could really clear his head. The weather was like that in the woods when he had gone out camping with his father. It had been over 10 years since he last saw-

"Mraaow"

"Oh morning Happy", Natsu greeted to his cat as Happy rubbed against him. He felt a bit grateful for Happy to pull him out of his thoughts. Natsu didn't like thinking about his past, it only made him feel bitter and angry.

"Myraww"

"Ah, you're probably hungry. Come on, I'll go fill up your bowl"

After feeding Happy, Natsu continued along with his morning routine, make breakfast for Lucy when she got home, and get ready to go out and run. He liked running at this time, but it wasn't often that he would go on sunday mornings. He would usually sleep in or get ready for the gym, which Natsu was currently not in the mood for. He had just wanted to lose himself a bit more and explore the city on his run, then go back home to get ready for work. So he put on his black roshes, running pants, favorite hoodie, and brought other necessities for his adventure.

"See ya later Happy, don't get into any trouble while I'm gone"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Lucy woke up to the sound of her 6 am alarm, in the arms of a man she hadn't seen since her high school graduation. Dan, the cheating douchebag boyfriend that broke her heart. It's been about 2 years since she last saw him, and she really didn't expect to see him again.

"Ugh, turn that shit off"

"Shit, hold on. I have to go", Lucy said as she rolled over to kiss Dan on his cheek

"Aw come on, just stay here for a bit longer Lu-lu~", Dan pouted out as Lucy got up to put her clothes on and gather her belongings.

"I would if I didn't have to get ready for work, and all my shit is at my apartment"

"With the pinky I assume"

"His name is Natsu"

"I know who he is. He broke my nose on your grad night"

"That's because you deserved it, you were sticking your fucking tongue in some slut's fucking ear. Who the fuck does that?"

Seeing that her words contained some pent up bitterness, Dan got up and wrapped his arms around her and pleaded into her ear, "Hey come on, that's the past. You know that didn't mean anything, I was drinking a lot that night. Hell, I don't even remember her name"

"Didn't you date her for a few months after we broke up?", Lucy had pushed away Dan to go to the door.

"Well yes, but that's not the point. She wasn't you. I totally fucked up back then, I didn't realize what I had until you were gone", Dan admitted as he followed after.

"Yeah, yeah. I know, we talked about it last week. Sorry, I got upset."

"It's fine. I'll see you next time, alright?"

"Yeah, bye", and with one last kiss on his cheek, Lucy left Dan's apartment building.

The weather was foggy, but the sun rise colored the sky with purple, pink, and orange. It was nice out, and the smell of the bakery nearby made her feel hungry. A pastry or two before going home wouldn't hurt, but as Lucy walked to the shop, she could have sworn she saw someone with pink hair run around the corner of the street. Suddenly, the thought of Natsu finding out made her feel a bit guilty. She knew how much he loved her, but she didn't always pay attention to how much Natsu meant to her. She was distracted, because she loved someone else. Natsu was there to fill the void. A void she felt the urge to fill ever since her father died. Lucy didn't want to end up alone for the rest of her life, and a safe bet to having someone by her side was Natsu. Natsu would never leave her life, like how the omnipresent smile on Natsu's face would never go away. It was a good thing Natsu was probably sleeping in or at the gym by now. Making mistakes were easy, but the hard part is dealing with them. And Lucy prefered not to think about her mistakes.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

The morning was beautiful. The cold crisp air bit at Natsu's skin and cooled his lungs as he breathed it in. The feel of his blood pumping, sweat dripping, and music blasting in his ears could really get Natsu to let loose. It was rare for Natsu to go for a run and not bring some tunes with him, the music helped Natsu detach from the world.

 _*Jumpman, Jumpman, Jumpman, them boys up to something_

 _They just spent like two or three weeks out the country_

 _Them boys up to so-*_

 _GRrrrrrr_

The feeling of Natsu's stomach growl, reminded him that he hadn't eaten much that morning. Natsu had been running for about an hour now, so he figured he could make a food stop for some munchies to appease his insatiable appetite. Luckily, Natsu's exploration into the city lead him near a bakery. Natsu jogged over to the corner where the bakery was when his ear phones were caught by a bush. As he untangled his earphones from the leaves and branches, he noticed a familiar blonde walk out of an unfamiliar building.

 _I thought she said she was at Levy's?_

 _Did they sleep at another friend's place?_

 _But where was Levy?_

Natsu was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw Lucy head towards the bakery, and his first instinct was to turn around and leave. Hopefully she didn't see him, Natsu wouldn't have known how to talk to her about it? Then the thought of Lucy seeing someone else crossed his mind.

Suddenly, he wasn't so hungry anymore. So he put his earphones back in, and kept running down the sidewalk to isolate himself from the world.

* * *

A/N: Heyoo! First off, thank you to everyone that read and reviewed this story! I really wasn't expecting that. So thank you again, it means a lot to me. Now second, I don't know how long this story is going to be, I've never written a story before so I don't know how to estimate how long this story could be. Third, I would just like to say that I aim to have pain in this story, on both parts. I've seen a lot of stories with Lucy being the one with the struggles and Natsu being a dickbag and hurting her. So I wanted to switch that up, and bring tears to Natsu's cute little face. And Lucy. Both of them will suffer. Lastly, to clear things up a bit for some people out there, this story will have NaLu. I've been shipping them even before I started watching fairy tail. Seriously. I saw fan art for it and it was really cute, so I watched it and now I've been loving it for like 3 years now.

Thank you again to all the reviewers!

 _Argo0, shadow61953, Demonic Presence, ExpressLover22, Noodleus, Guest, Junebug, NotObsessionnalYet, and GummiBears824_


	3. Contemplation

A/N: Hello again everyone that actually reads this trash, I would just like to say a few things about this story. First, thank you again for reading and reviewing this story, I'm trying my best, but I'm also making this up as I go. Again, this is my first story, I really have no idea what I'm doing. But I do know that writing is fun and relaxing. Second, I thought it was pretty funny to see your reactions to Jackal, but don't worry I'm changing it back to my original choice *drumroll* DAN STRAIGHT. And if you're wondering, _why the fuck did you pick Jackal?_ It's because I saw a few ways this story could go, and one way was for Lucy to end up dating an asshole. And the character that I thought would play a perfect asshole was Jackal. I was a bit hesitant to use Dan the first time because I thought it would have been really out of character for him. But then again Lucy's pretty out of character too, she would have never cheated on Natsu because she's a pretty loyal person in canon. So I was just like "Fuck it, I'm going back to the original plan". Third, fuck. I totally forgot as I was writing this. I think I was gonna say something about this being my story so I can do whatever the fuck I want with it. But I feel like that's not it. OH. I'm getting a job, so it's likely I won't update as fast as I want to. Well I hope I get the job, but the other thing I'm busy with is my summer classes. So I'll do my best with what I have.

So please enjoy this longer than what I've written so far chapter

* * *

 _*WAKE ME UP! BEFORE YOU GO GO!*_

"UUUUUUUUGhhhhhh"

 _*DON'T LEAVE ME HANGIN ON LIKE A YO-YO*_

"Turn it off Natsu"

 _*WAKE ME UP! BEFORE YOU GO GO!*_

"Yeah, I got it.", grabbing his phone, Natsu turned off his alarm.

"That is the worst alarm ringtone"

"I know, but at least it works at making me get up in the morning"

"True"

With a groan, Natsu got up to make his way to the kitchen, "I'll go make us some coffee Luce"

"Thanks Natsu"

It's been a week since Natsu saw Lucy come out of the mystery building. It's been getting on his nerves for a whole damn week, and his mind was at a constant battle with itself. A part of him wanted to trust that Lucy was just at a friend's house, and the other was worried that Lucy was with another man. But why would Lucy cheat on Natsu if she was cheated on before? It didn't make sense to Natsu. He had more faith that Lucy was just at another friend's house. That is, until he asked Lucy about the other night. Lucy stuck to her story about being at Levy's place. Why would she do that? Was it possible she was sleeping with someone?

 _No, no. She would never. She's my best friend and girlfriend. If she's lying, it's probably for a good reason. I should trust her. She's never given me a reason not to._

But a small annoying voice in his head told him that it was possible for Lucy to be unfaithful. And the longer Natsu didn't know the truth, the more he was starting to believe in that little voice. It was making him doubt his whole relationship with Lucy. Putting more thought into his relationship with Lucy, Natsu realized that they were just going through the motions. They've been dating for about 9 months now, and there has barely been any fun or excitement in their relationship. They barely go out together anymore. The last time they went out was during winter break. Winter break! That was 2 months ago! How could he have let his relationship go so stale?

Then a light bulb lit up in his head.

A surprise date night.

It was just what their relationship needed, and Natsu had such a good feeling about it, a wide grin appeared on his face.

Joining Natsu at the kitchen table, Lucy had asked, "What are you so cheery about?"

"Huh? Oh! Nothing, it's just that I was thinking about the fight I have in a couple of weeks", wasn't a total lie. The owner of the boxing gym that Natsu trained at, was Makarov Dreyar. When Natsu was 12, he had runaway from another foster home only to end up struggling on the streets, and that's when Makarov found him and offered him a home where other kids like himself could stay until they were ready to go out into the world by themselves. Makarov knew Natsu wanted to become a professional boxer, so he was more than happy to help Natsu find a fight to get his name out there.

Taking a sip from her coffee, Lucy had asked, "Really? Who are you gonna fight this time?"

"His name's Zancrow, apparently he's one of the most ferocious boxers in Magnolia. So if I beat him, which I'm pretty sure I will, people are gonna hear more about The Mighty Salamander"

"Why salamander? Aren't those just tiny amphibians?"

"Oh yeah, I don't think I ever told you about how I got that name. My dad was a boxer, and the name people knew him by was The Fire Dragon. So I looked up other mythical creatures relating to fire, and that's how I found out about Salamanders. Apparently they couldn't be burned by fire, and it was the closest thing to a fire breathing lizard I could find"

"Your dad?"

"My adoptive father"

"How come you never talk about him. I barely know anything about him, other than he left you when you were 8."

"It's not the easiest thing to talk about. Besides, it's not that important"

"If it wasn't important, why would you have a moniker that was influenced by him?"

"So he knows that I'm still fucking here.", Natsu spat out bitterly. He then paused for a bit at the realization of how harsh he sounded, and muttered out, "Sorry. I-um, I'm gonna go get ready for my classes".

Watching Natsu head back into the bedroom, Lucy had been left to her own devices. It was no surprise that Lucy was taken aback by his words, and it left Lucy to reflect on her life and relationship with Natsu.

 _Natsu was never big on talking about himself, and it was one of the issues that Lucy had with her relationship with him. Natsu practically knew everything about her, but Lucy only could only see the surface of Natsu's life. It's one of the reasons why she struggled to be close with him. She knew about his present life, how much he cared for his friends, and how he did his best to make her happy. She really appreciated and admired how Natsu was with the people he cared for, but sometimes, it was like there was a part of Natsu she could never see clearly. A part of himself that he kept hidden from the world, and Lucy could only assume it was because of his adoptive father due to the fact that Natsu was clearly uncomfortable talking about him._

 _Natsu had issues, but so did she. When Lucy was younger her mother passed away, and her father grew distant from her, leaving Lucy nothing but loneliness. She had grown up with the comfort of the fairy tales that her mother had once read to her at night, stories of brave knights rescuing princesses from dragon guarded towers. Although, there was one story where the dragon was the princess' friend, but Lucy had lost the book and forgotten the rest of the story. With Lucy's family being one of the most wealthiest in Fiore, she didn't have to go to school and was home taught, but she was able to convince her father that to be successful in her life she needed to learn how to interact with people her age and go to a public school. And so she did, it was how she ended up meeting Natsu and her other friends._

 _Then one day Lucy's father had introduced her to one of his business associate's son, Dan Straight. It was like he came out of a fairy tale himself. A charming and handsome knight. She became infatuated with his suave personality, and they eventually started dating. She was happy with her relationship, and so was her father. Lucy had known that it was her father's plan to marry her off to a business partner's son to expand his company, but Lucy had to admit that Dan was a good pick even if he was a couple years older, and Lucy's father had grown closer to her. She was happy. Up until the night of her graduation. Lucy had caught Dan Straight, her Boyfriend, holding another woman in his arms, licking and sucking the girl's ear. Lucy knew Dan had some kinks, but she had been under the belief that it was their special thing. The man Lucy had loved and lost her virginity to, was cheating on her at her graduation party. Filled with hurt and betrayal, she decided to drink away her night and forget all about Dan. Soon, her tears caught up with her, and so did Natsu offering her his comfort. In more ways than one._

 _The next day, she woke up naked next to Natsu who was still sleeping soundly. Lucy did as best as she could to get up and leave without disturbing him. She didn't mean for it to go that far. She was hurt, but she still loved Dan. All she wanted to do was to go home and be by herself for a bit. But mostly to avoid Natsu and Dan. She hadn't actually dumped Dan that night, she had only run away from him. As for Natsu, she was confused with how she felt about him. She knew Natsu had a crush on her because it was clear as day, but once upon a time she used to have a crush on him too. And why wouldn't she, he had given her his friendship, adventure, and introduced her to a group of friends she could call her family. Then Dan came along, Natsu got a girlfriend, and her crush faded away._

 _It took her a week to find the courage to dump Dan's cheating ass, tell her father what had happened with Dan, and tell Natsu that she made a mistake when she slept with him. With time, their relationship went back to normal just like she wanted. Unfortunately, Lucy's relationship with her father had declined a bit. Her father had made plans with his business partner about Lucy's and Dan's future with their companies, and her father didn't appreciate that Lucy threw all his plans away. They had argued about what Lucy was going to do with her life, and Lucy had realized that if she wanted to live her life her way, she would have to leave her father._

 _Lucy had moved out of her father's house and became an independent young woman. She had even conquered her first year at her university, and she figured it was time to celebrate with her best friend Natsu. Throughout the whole school year, she was still able to hang out with Natsu to just talk. It was always comforting to see his smile. However, Lucy had taken a bit too much comfort in Natsu again. The night they celebrated their first year of college at Natsu's, they had both gotten pretty fucked up, and ended up fucking each other. So repeating the past, Lucy got up and left Natsu before he could wake up. Lucy had made the same mistake again._

 _Although, it hadn't felt like a total mistake. It wasn't like Natsu wasn't bad in bed or unattractive, it was quite the opposite actually. She wondered how he had gotten better since the last time she slept with him. She had heard from her friend Juvia, who had heard from her boyfriend Gray (Natsu's roommate before he moved out to live with Juvia), that Natsu had been having quite a few one night stands and was dating a girl or two for a short period of time. The idea of Natsu sleeping around irritated a bit, but she had no right to, so she dismissed those thoughts. Anyways, Lucy had wanted something more with her relationship with Natsu, but not too much. It only took her a few days to finally figure out what she wanted. Sex. With No Strings Attached. Friends with Benefits. Any rom-com movie about friends that have sex with eachother. Luckily, Natsu was not opposed to the idea._

 _Their arrangement went quite well for a bit, until the words "I love you" came from Natsu's mouth. The first thing that came to Lucy's mind was to get away. The second was, that Lucy had not been expecting that, yet it wasn't that surprising. She thought that his crush on her would have faded by now, well it probably did, but grew again when they started fucking each other._

 _Lucy had avoided Natsu again for awhile, she needed time to herself to think. She needed time alone. Her need for isolation had soon changed when she discovered that her father had passed away. Her only living family member had died. Lucy was alone again, but she didn't have to be. Natsu had always had his arms wide open for her, and Lucy took the opportunity to never be alone again._

 _Lucy had actually been enjoying her new relationship with Natsu, he had shown her love and care that she felt couldn't be found with anyone else. Once for a date, Natsu took her to a building top at night to look over the city and have a (fake) candle lit picnic. A lot of her dates with Natsu were like adventures. She was starting to think that she was falling in love with him, despite his ability to share his struggles with her._

 _Lucy's life had looked optimistic. She had passed another semester of college, winter break had finished, and Lucy was starting her classes. She was feeling happy with her life, except when she found out a familiar dick bag was in one of her classes. Fucking Dan Straight. Not only was he in her class, her professor assigned a group project and it just so happened that Dan Straight was her partner. She had the class for an hour for 5 days a week. That meant she would practically be seeing the fuckboy everyday. For a couple of weeks, Lucy felt nothing but contempt for her ex. For a couple of weeks. Somehow Dan talked her into getting coffee with him, and the more he talked to her, the more she was starting to remember the good parts of the relationship she used to have. She was reminded of his charisma, his good looks, and she was reminded of how happy her father was when she was still dating Dan. It had made her glad she was able to find something that connected her to her father. So she and Dan went out again, and again, and it lead to her sleeping with Dan once more._

 _This thing that Lucy had with Dan had been going for a month, a month that led Lucy to forget about her growing love for Natsu. To make room for the old love she had for Dan. If Lucy asked herself if there was a future for her relationship with Natsu, she would sa-_

Suddenly, Lucy was pulled out of mid-thought when she felt Natsu kiss her cheek.

"Bye Luce, I'll see you later"

"Huh? Oh, bye Natsu"

Lucy watched Natsu walk out the door and she had wondered how long she had been sitting there lost in her thoughts. It had seemed that Natsu had taken a shower, gotten ready, feed Happy, changed the litter box, and made some eggs and toast for her. But there was two things Lucy was certain of.

 _My coffee's cold, and it was too goddamn early to be thinking about all my life choices up until now._

* * *

To some reviewers out there:

JTW2014: I have not read that story, mostly because I'm not that into Naruto. BUT I enjoy reading people get hurt, so I'll find time to read your suggestion

 _Crimsonlink310:_ I promise I won't write any intimate scenes for Lucy doing the deed with any other dude that isn't Natsu. I'm not even sure if I can actually write it. I'll try though.

 _ExpressLover22_ : WOW. You are passionate about this story. I love that, thank you. I don't think I want to bring in Lisanna as someone to be like a rebound for Natsu. I'm not sure I want Natsu to have a rebound, I'm not totally sure what I want to do yet. BUT I do kinda like the idea of Brandish coming into the story. So I'll consider that

 _TheRedPotato:_ I hate how accurate you are, but I also love that you think this is a great story. It's hard to come up with something original when it's like every idea you came up with has already been done. I'm just trying to add my own twist to it.

 _NotObsessionalYet_ : I can assure you that I will not be using Lisanna as a replacement of any kind, but as a supportive friend. Maybe. If I think she'll become relevant to future chapters. Like I said in the A/N above, I am making this up as I go.

 _mushi0131:_ You are also accurate. I love that story. But it was too little for my taste. And it's why I wanted to write this story. I wanted to see a story with angst similar to the one by oikawaa, but I could never really find one. So I just decided that I should do it myself. Also I read Betrayal to Love and I absolutely adore it

 _Argo0:_ I hope you know that I've read some of your stories before too, and I love them. So I'm totally grateful that you're reading my trash. And I hope I was able to answer your question and clear up your confusion with this chapter.

 _DemonicPresence:_ Oh god, please review more. I want to know your thoughts and opinions on my work. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Also, I have no idea how long this story will be, but who cares how long or short it is, the only thing that really matters to me is that there's people who enjoy what I am able to create.


	4. Hope

It was a late Thursday afternoon, and Natsu was carpooling with Gray after training at the gym. It was often that they would both pick out place to get food and bring home as dinner for their girls, and sometimes Gray would pick up Juvia from work and let her pick out dinner.

"Hey snowflake"

"What ashtray"

"What's a good place for a date?", It's been a few days since Natsu came up with the idea to take Lucy out on a surprise date night. And it has been a few days of Natsu hitting a roadblock of ideas.

"Why're you asking? Lucy mad at you again? Remember last time when you spilled coffee on that story she was writing in her journal, and she ignored you for a week", Gray retorted with a snicker

"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT. And no she is not mad at me dickface, I just wanna do something special for her. It's just been awhile y'know," Natsu sighed out. He had been having a few doubtful thoughts in his relationship with Lucy. Having a successful date with Lucy would keep the doubts away, but knowing what to do was a difficult task.

"Ahhhh, you wanna take her on a date so you can get some~"

"NO! That's not the point you fuck. I mean, yeah we haven't done it in awhile and it would be a bonus, but that's not the point. I just wanna keep her happy man, things are getting stale and I wanna spice shit up",

"Then take her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant or something."

"Nah man, it's too cliche. Also I already did that."

"Fine then, what about a movie?"

"I want to be able to talk to her."

"A walk in the park?"

"I've done that already."

"Fuck man I don't know. She's your girlfriend, what are things she's into."

"I'd take her to a concert, but there aren't any good bands playing here."

"What else?"

"She likes animals."

"Take her to a zoo."

"Zoos stink dude, it's not very romantic."

"I don't know what fucking else there is man"

"Fuck wait, what's that place we went hiking once? The one with the shortcut and the oceanview?", Natsu chimed. He remembered standing in a flat grassy area that was cut off by a cliffs edge, and he had thought that Lucy would have enjoyed the view if she wasn't busy with work

"The cliff near the West Forest Trail?"

"Yeah! That'd be a great place to go stargazing dude!" excitement and hope shining with his words.

"Aren't there like coyotes at night?" At this point in their conversation, Gray had pulled over to the side of the road to pick up Juvia, where she then got into the back of the car and Gray had greeted her with a brief, " _Hey Juuvs_ ", then got back into his conversation with Natsu.

"Nah man, there's coyotes are near Hakobe Mountain."

"Hi Gray-sama, hi Natsu-san, what are you guys talking about?"

"Sup Juvia, we were just talking about this place that I wanna go to with Luce so we can stargaze"

"That sounds wonderful!"

"I know right! But I kinda feel like I'm missing something"

"Juvia knows! You should make her a gift!"

"Make her a gift? Why not just buy one?"

"Because it means more if you make it flame brain"

"Juvia agrees with Gray-sama, Natsu-san. Juvia also thinks you should make a mix cd for Lucy-san. You've made those before haven't you?"

"Oh yeah! That's a great idea Juvia, thanks! Wait. What are songs she likes?"

"This shit again", irritation laced in Gray's voice

"If both of you help me pick out songs, dinner's on me tonight", Natsu said with brows raised in anticipation and a knowing look

With the mention of Natsu paying for dinner, Gray spoke up with much enthusiasm, "Well when you put it like that… Juvia, didn't you go to a concert with Lucy and the girls one time?"

"Oh yes, it was a music festival and there were many bands playing that day. Juvia remembers Lucy enjoying _Of Monsters and Men_ the most. Also when Lucy gives Juvia a ride home on the weekends, we listen to _Halsey_ , _Beyoncé_ , and sometimes _Zayn_."

"Zayn?"

"Zayn Malik"

"Nice", a shine gleaming through Natsu's eyes at the thought of how beautiful Zayn was, but not as gorgeous Lucy was

"Alright, now that ya got your music shit, Juvia, you wanted to try out that new Asian fusion place right?"

"Yes, but it's a bit pricey"

"I think I know where we're eating tonight. How's that sound Dragneel?", A smirk appearing on Gray's face, a face ready to bleed out Natsu's wallet

"It was worth it."

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Arriving at his and Lucy's apartment with the take out he got for Lucy, Natsu had already started coming up with good songs to put on his mix cd for Lucy. He figured that he should go for a chill relaxing sort of vibe. Something he could listen to with Lucy that would set the mood for a good cuddle, a slow dance, or maybe something a bit more if he was lucky.

But what if he did get lucky? Would they just do it on the grass? A blanket? A blanket would be better than doing it on the grass. But what if they fell asleep out there, it gets pretty cold out there. A tent? Natsu didn't have a tent. But Gajeel does. _Ugh he'd probably say no though_. Unless he got Levy to ask him! Plus he needed to ask Levy to make sure Lucy doesn't go there. _Killing two birds with one stone._

 _Now I just gotta call Gajeel_

 _*Dooooot_

…

 _*Dooooot_

 _..._

 _*Dooo- click_

" _What"_

"Buckethead, lemme talk to Levy"

" _Why the fuck do you wanna talk to Levy?"_

"Because it's about Lucy"

" _Tch. Fine",_ in the background Natsu could hear Gajeel call Levy over to grab the phone.

" _Hello?"_

"Levy! It's me Natsu"

" _Oh hey, what's up?"_

"Lucy goes to your place on Saturdays right?"

" _Yeah, sometimes"_

"Well I'm trying to surprise her with a date on Saturday this week, so I was thinking if you could help me out and make sure she doesn't go there?"

" _Of course! That's so cute, where are you taking her?"_

"I'm gonna take her out stargazing and I'm trying to make her a mix cd",

" _Oh my god she's gonna love it! What songs do you have so far?"_

"I got: _Halo - Beyoncé, Drive - Halsey, she - Zayn, Love love love - Of Monsters and Men, and…_ that's all I got"

" _Put in Frank Ocean or Miguel. Wait no! Put both!",_ Natsu could hear the eagerness in Levy's voice

"Thinkin about you?"

" _Yes!"_

"What about Miguel?"

" _Sure Thing"_

"Damn those are some good fucking songs. Literally"

" _Are you gonna smoke with her too?"_

"Oh yeah, definitely. It's really gonna set the mood.", the thought of being with Lucy again filled him up with hope for their relationship

" _Don't you have a fight soon? They drug test you for that right?"_

"They don't really test amateurs, but if they do I know where to get a detox to clean my system."

" _Well good luck on your date and your fight"_

"Thanks, but wait. I was also thinking if you could get Gajeel to let me borrow his camping gear and his radio with the cd player?"

" _Sure"_

"Thanks again Levy"

" _No problem. Bye Natsu"_

"Alright, bye."

With excitement running through his bones, Natsu shot up a fist into the air with a cheer. His plan to give Lucy the best date night was looking great already. The pink haired man was practically jumping up and down like a hyperactive child on a candy filled Halloween night.

Going over to his laptop and speakers, he put on some music to dance to. He was just about to start shaking his butt, when he noticed his cat staring at him with confusion. Natsu had let out a laugh as an idea popped into his head.

"Come on Happy! Let's dance bud!" picking up his cat, he lifted the blue feline into the air as he danced to the music. Happy let out a yowl in protest and tried to wiggle out of the dancing man's arms, but had failed miserably.

"Aww Happy, don't be such a sourpuss!", chuckling at his Happy's attempt at escaping and at his lame pun.

Then another idea came to mind. Natsu had gotten up on the coffee table with Happy in his arms, ready to reenact the scene from _The Lion King_ when Lucy had walked in on her boyfriend's antics.

"Again?", an unsurprised tone in her voice

"...yes", Natsu chirped out bashfully

"Well could you at least turn it down a bit, it's been a long day and I have a headache"

Natsu had noticed the fatigued look on her face and quickly got down from the table to turn down the music and put Happy down, "Sure Luce, why're you so tired though? Something happen at work today?"

"People Natsu. People happened", it was true. Working at a retail store as a part time job got tiring, especially with all the nagging customers she encountered.

"You want me to make you something?"

"Yes! Please, I could really use a cup of tea", Lucy walked over to the coffee table to put down her bag and lie back on the couch that was behind it.

"Got it.", going to the kitchen to make the blonde her tea, he thought asking more about her day would make her feel better, "So, what's bothering you?"

"Oh my god Natsu, it was awful. Some lady came into the store today and was in there for hours. She was trying to return a jacket she bought 3 months ago and she didn't even have her receipt. She kept demanding that she deserved to get her money back, even our manager came over and told her that we couldn't give her a refund because of our policies. And I swear to god, she flipped out and threw the jacket at my manager's face and stomped the hell out of the store"

"Sounds terrible", Natsu replied while he was pouring hot water into a mug with a tea bag

"It was"

Walking back over to the couch where Lucy was lying down, Natsu had finished making the tea and gave it to her, "Here ya go"

"Ugh thank you, I really needed this", Lucy had groaned as she sat up to take the mug from Natsu's warm hands. "Hey do you think you could change the song too, I just want to listen to something more relaxing"

"'Course. What do you want me to play?"

"Um.. Can you put on _Troye Sivan_?"

"The youtuber? He sings?"

"Yeah, and he's pretty good too"

"Alright then, what song?"

"Ooh, play _Heaven_ "

"Okay… got it."

"Thanks babe", Lucy had sighed as the song started to play and she took a sip of her tea. She had felt at ease, but Natsu felt something was missing

"Hey, I got an idea"

Lucy lifted a brow in curiosity, "What is it?"

"Turn over and lie on the couch, I wanna give you a massage"

"Natsu, it's okay, you've already made me tea. You've already done enough"

"You look stressed still, I just wanna help out. Come on, I know you want it.", Natsu had wiggled his eyebrows in attempt to tempt Lucy.

"Alright, do your worst", giving into his request, Lucy had lied face down onto the couch and awaited Natsu's massage

"More like my absolute best. You're gonna feel so rejuvenated when I'm done"

"If you say so"

And so Natsu did. Lucy had let out sounds of relief and satisfaction, letting Natsu know he was doing a good job. He had continued removing her stress until he could hear light snores coming from his girl. With a warm smile, he had stopped his menstrations, and picked up Lucy to carry her over to their bed. It was a good day, and he was sure his date night would be even better.

* * *

A/N: YO! Sorry it took awhile for me to make this. I had a paper that was due a few days ago and I was just totally pooped from writing. Also, I really hoped that you all enjoyed this chapter, because I want you to get ready for the next one. I'm not gonna say what's gonna happen, but I have a feeling you already know. So please tell me your thoughts about this chapter, and thank you all again to those who have read and reviewed, it really means alot to me!

Also! _Nico2883:_ Non ti preoccupare Lucy è sicuramente andando sentire la sua assenza, anche se Natsu non usciva nessuno. Ma io continuo a pensare a dare un nuovo rapporto di Natsu, in futuro, quindi forse vedremo qualche invidia venire da Lucy. E grazie ancora per la lettura di questa storia! Avevo appena messo la tua opinione in google translate quindi mi dispiace se questo non è acurrate.

I really have no idea how to speak italian. I hope google translate got the message out somewhat.


	5. Rupture

Yep. It's been decided. No one could have been any more excited than the boy with the pink hair. Pure elation had been running through Natsu's veins since midnight, right when the clock hit twelve. Today was Saturday, and Natsu was going to give Lucy the best date night she would ever have in her life.

Natsu had been running around all morning getting all the things he needed for his date. Gajeel dropped off the radio and the tent yesterday, so Natsu didn't have to worry about that. At the store, he got flameless candles and lanterns for lighting, pillows and blankets for comfort, a couple bottles of chardonnay, and a cooler for the drinks to keep cold. As for food, he was going to order out some sushi because Natsu liked to pay attention to what his girl had a craving for even if it was just a small one. It was barely two, and he was already done with all the things he needed to get for the night. Since he had the important stuff done, it wouldn't hurt to take a long nap.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

It was around six in the afternoon, so it was going to get dark in an hour or two. Natsu had enough time to get home to take a shower then go to the place to set up the tents, blankets, and lights. After that, he just had to pick up Lucy from home then blindfold her. It couldn't really be a surprise without a blindfold.

About half an hour later, Natsu was just leaving his apartment building and got into his car to head over to the West Forest Trail to set up for the date. It was a good day, and there was nothing he could think of that would kill his mood.

 _20 minutes later..._

Natsu had made his way up a shortcut to the West Forest Trail and gone off the trail to go to the grassy cliff area. It was still breathtakingly beautiful, and Lucy was going to love it.

Congratulating himself on fixing up the tent, Natsu claimed,"Not too shabby if I do say so myself" After making sure everything was set, Natsu made his way back to his car and called Levy to ask about Lucy.

 _Doooot_

 _Doo-_

" _Hello?"_

"Hey Levy, did Lucy go there?"

" _Oh hi Natsu, Lucy was here, but she just left. She said she was going home"_

"That's great!"

" _How is everything so far?"_

"I was just heading back to pick up Lucy and the food. The tent and other stuff is all set and ready to be dated at"

" _Did you forget anything?"_

"No! Wait. Shit! I forgot the mix cd. But it's alright since I'm heading back to the apartment anyways"

" _Good! Well I hope you and Lucy have a great time!"_

"Thanks Levy! Bye"

" _Bye!" -click_

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

The drive back was fairly short, plus Natsu was able to pick up the food pretty quick too. Now all that was left was to get Lucy and the mix cd from the apartment. When Natsu made the turn to go onto the street where the apartment was, he noticed Lucy's car wasn't in it's usual parking spot. It was actually nowhere to be found.

Natsu muttered out a short, "weird", but paid no attention to it. _Lucy probably parked somewhere else for the day._

A hop, skip, and jump away Natsu was in his apartment.

"Luce! I'm home babe!"

…

"Luce?"

 _Was she asleep?_

Natsu had checked all over their apartment, and there was no Lucy in sight. No note, no nothing. _Where was she?_ Getting a bit worried, Natsu grabbed the mix cd and called Lucy on his way out of the apartment.

 _Doooot_

 _Doooot_

 _Doooot_

 _Doooot_

 _Dooo-_

" _Hello?"_

"Luce, where ya at babe?"

" _I'm just hanging out with Levy, Natsu"_

"Really? Well can I talk to her real quick?", Natsu said incredulously

" _She's in the bathroom, why do you need to talk to her?"_

Making something up on the spot, Natsu reasoned, "I just wanted to ask her something about buckethead"

" _Oh, well I'll just tell her you called"_

"Well, thanks. But when are you gonna come home?"

" _I might stay the night again, so- oh shoot! Levy needs my help with something, I gotta go! Bye Natsu!"_

"Wait Lu-" _click,_ "-cy…", Natsu finished dejectedly, "What the fuck was that?"

Confused at what Lucy had just told him, Natsu sent an irritated text

 _N: What the hell Levy? I thought you said Lucy went home?_

A few minutes later, Levy replied

 _L: She did! I walked her back to her car from my apartment. Is she not home?_

 _N: No she isn't._

 _L: She's probably out getting food or something. She said that she was feeling hungry before she left._

Taking sometime to process what Levy was telling him, Natsu got into his car and thought to himself.

 _What the fuck? Is Lucy lying to me? Why the fuck would she do that? Unless… No. She wouldn't. Would she?_

Natsu was suddenly reminded of his early morning run, when he saw Lucy walk out of a building that was unfamiliar to him. Beginning to feel anxious and paranoid, he had turned on the car and started to drive to the street where he ran.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

 _God I'm stupid._

Natsu had parked near the bakery, away from the street lights, so that no one could see him being a creep. Lucy's car wasn't even anywhere near or on the street of the building. Meaning she wasn't even there. He had let his worries get the best of him. Natsu loved Lucy, and he trusted her. He shouldn't have let his doubts get to him. So why was he still waiting in his car? It was so fucking boring. He had been sitting in his car for half an hour now. He shouldn't have gone here, it was a waste of time. But right when Natsu was going to turn the engine on, he saw Lucy's car coming.

"What the fuck?", Natsu whispered to himself.

Looking more carefully at what was going on outside his car, Lucy had parked near the building and got out of her car. But she didn't come out of the driver's side. Instead, a man came out and walked around the car to open the passenger's side door.

 _Was that Dan? Why-_

Dan had opened the door for Lucy to come out, and he had kissed Lucy. Not on the cheek. On her lips. And she was kissing him back. They were making out on the side of Lucy's car for a minute until Dan started to lead her into the building. Lucy had closed her door, and the car locked behind them.

For a minute. It felt like Natsu couldn't breathe.

He started the car and drove back to the cliff. There were no thoughts on his mind. No feeling in his body. Nothing. The drive was silent and cold.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Finally arriving at the West Forest, Natsu got out of his car and went down the short cut to the cliff with the mix cd in hand.

Everything was still there, it was beautiful. The glow of all the flameless candles and lanterns lit the tent and the blankets that covered the ground. Natsu had dropped down in front of the radio, opened it, and put in the cd so the music could play. Going inside the tent, he grabbed a jar that contained a few blunts. He took one, put it in between his lips, and lit it up. He took a long drag of the blunt, took it off his mouth, and took a sharp inhale. Then let his breath go. Natsu was entranced by the smoke filling the tent in wisps and clouds. He continued to smoke the blunt until there was nothing left, and when he finished he gave himself a minute before lighting up another one.

He was stoned out his mind by then. The weed was deeply embedded into his system. His body was numb, and it felt like his brain had floated out of his skull. He had felt some ease, but it wasn't enough. He stepped out of the tent and breathed in the cold night air. Natsu went over to the cooler and pulled out the wine.

 _Thank god it was a twist top_

Natsu opened the bottle with ease, and chugged the damn thing down his throat. It was bittersweet and slightly tangy.

Looking over to the water, Natsu began to wander over to the cliff's edge. The ripples of the ocean reflected the light of the moon and the stars. It made Natsu want to look up. There were millions of stars that were scattered across the dark night sky. Even though there was only a sliver of the moon up in the sky, the beauty of it put tears in Natsu's eyes.

 _If only Lucy was here to see it._

A burst of anger shot through his body causing him to throw the empty bottle over the edge. He dropped down onto his knees and let out a pained cry.

It took him a few minutes to recollect himself. After he was able to, he got up, and faltered back to the tent. Staring at the radio for a moment, irritation filled his head. He turned off the radio, took out the cd and threw it on the ground. Without a second thought, he smashed it with the heel of his foot.

He went back inside the tent to smoke the last blunt. Numbing himself one last time before he let sleep take over.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! The more reviews I get, the more I want to continue writing this story. But I just have one question about this chapter. Was it angsty enough? I feel like it isn't. But I still like it. Just tell me how I can make it more angsty if it wasn't enough. I would enjoy some constructive criticism.

To some reviewers out there:

 _Crimsonlink310:_ Shit didn't really hit the fan. More like floated to the fan, but still made a mess.

 _Argo0:_ Thank you again for your advice! I was actually taking a lot of thought of how I want to portray Lucy, because I know that making her a bitch would not make the story work the way I want it to. Also Lucy is my favorite fucking character, I don't think I could ever see her that way.

DeniMarie31: Thank you for reading, but I just want to make something clear. This is fanfiction, there are not a lot of things here that are real or are canon. As for cheating on someone that loves you, I really have to disagree with you on that, because I think that's very realistic. That happens in real life all the time. I've seen it happen. It all depends on how you feel about that person. Like if they love you, it's not your obligation to love them back. Plus people feel love in different ways with different people. So yes, I do think that Lucy cheating is still kinda unjustified, but I wanted it to be like that for a reason. If you want to find out that reason, then just wait and see what I have to offer in the future chapters.


	6. Detach

_*WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU G-*_

Having been awake for the past hour, Natsu quickly turned off his morning alarm. Even though he had smoked all of that weed from last night, it didn't do much to give him a restful slumber. The weed was still heavily in his system. He wasn't exactly sure if he could get a hangover from weed, but he had a headache and was very groggy. He had woken up every couple of hours, and had struggled twice as much every time he tried to go back sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about it. The memory of it was branded into his mind.

It was strange to him. Even though Natsu had found out about Lucy last night, that wasn't what was plaguing his mind. It was something else that had been there for years. He had tried to forget, but no matter how much he wanted to, the memory of his father had never left him.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

 _When Natsu was a baby, his real parents had died and he was left with his older brother to go to a orphanage for a few years. He barely knew a thing about his own family and where he came from, only that he called his older brother Z, and that he had left Natsu behind in the miserable orphanage. The little pink haired boy tried to go after him of course, so he ran out into the night to find his family. Only to be met with failure, loneliness, and heartache. A small boy, no older than four years old, was crying to himself in a dimly lit alleyway. But his cries did not go unheard. A tall rugged man with a couple of scars decorating his face walked up to the little boy and asked him why he was sitting all alone in the alley. It wasn't safe for children to be out that late, then Natsu told him that he was lost and had nowhere to go._

 _Igneel had taken in Natsu that night to sleep at his apartment out of the kindness of his heart, and made a plan to get Natsu back to where he came from. However, it was a bit of a challenge to find out where Natsu had come from, the boy wouldn't say a thing about it. So Natsu had stayed with Igneel for a few more days, then those few days turned into a few weeks, the little boy was starting to grow on day, Igneel took Natsu out grocery shopping when they had ran into a woman that had recognized Natsu, and claimed that Natsu was from the orphanage. The two had grown so close in the time that they had spent together, and Igneel was beginning to feel reluctant in letting Natsu go. Then Natsu had told Igneel why he ran away from the orphanage, to look for his older brother. It had struck a cord in Igneel, Natsu had lost his family too. A few years ago, Igneel's late wife passed away during childbirth, and so did the baby._

 _Igneel was lonely and heartbroken, and so was Natsu. But they didn't have to be. Igneel had gone to the orphanage with Natsu, and asked for adoption papers. The boy had filled a hole in his heart, and he wasn't about to let that go. Natsu became his family soon after, and Natsu was equally as glad. The little boy wasn't alone anymore._

 _Four years had passed, and Natsu had learned so much in his life with Igneel. His adoptive father had taught him how to read and write, some fundamentals of boxing, and even a bit of guitar. Specifically a lullaby that Igneel would play to help Natsu sleep. The two were the best of friends as much as they were father and son. Life was exciting with Igneel. He could take Natsu out to his tournaments when he boxed, and Natsu swore he was going to be like Igneel when he grew up._

 _Natsu loved every minute of everyday in his young life with Igneel. But a day had come where Igneel was given an opportunity to fight professionally, and it had required him to go across seas. Igneel would have brought Natsu along, but his manager told him it would have only been a struggle on both parts for Igneel to be training and taking care of a child. For that reason, Igneel left Natsu in the care of a neighbor for a couple of weeks until he got back. Before he left, Igneel promised Natsu that he would be back as soon as possible and gave Natsu a white scaly scarf to make sure Natsu didn't get cold._

 _A week had passed, and Natsu was excited for Igneel to come on TV. He was going to be able to see Igneel fight from home, to see Igneel win. It was eight at night, the fight was about to start. Natsu's eyes were brightly shining when he saw his dad on TV for the first time. After the announcer introduced Igneel and his opponent, the bell rang to signal the fight. It was an amazing feat, Natsu had even gotten up on his feet to mirror his father's moves. Igneel was quick on his feet, dodging many punches thrown. As for the amount of punches thrown at him, Igneel could give back tenfold. By the seventh round, Igneel was untamed and ferocious like the dragons in the stories he would tell to Natsu. With one last blow to his opponent's face, Igneel won the match with a KO. Natsu shot up into the air with a holler of joy. Igneel had won, and he was going to be on his way home soon._

 _Natsu waited another week. Igneel wasn't back yet. This didn't worry Natsu too much because his neighbor assured him that Igneel's flight was just late. So Natsu patiently waited again. Another week had passed, and there was no sign of Igneel. Where was he? Why wasn't he home yet. He had even stopped by the gym Igneel trained at, there were some that said they didn't know, and there were some that said Igneel took off with his rewards and lost it all. Natsu didn't know what to believe. One morning, Natsu stopped by his neighbor's door to ask them if they could feed him, so they invited the boy in for a meal. What Natsu had not meant to do, was overhear his neighbor make a call to child services since his father had been missing for over a week now. Natsu was worried, it was happening again. His family was gone.. He couldn't handle being alone again. And he wasn't going to let himself be taken away from Igneel._

 _Natsu packed his bag, threw on his scarf, grabbed Igneel's guitar, and took off again. He was going to find Igneel no matter what._

 _Unfortunately, Natsu was losing his hope. three years had passed since he began his search for Igneel. Three years of struggle, pain, and anger. He earned money by playing his father's guitar on the sidewalk, plus begging worked since he was just a kid. Sometimes his earnings wouldn't cut it, so Natsu was reduced to pickpocketing. Igneel had taught him better, but desperate times call for desperate measures. There were many nights where he was filled with sorrow that turned into vexation of how his life had turned out. In his time alone, his love for Igneel had turned to a bitter unresolved hatred._

 _Natsu had continued his life of being a homeless youth until he stole the wallet of an old man named Makarov Dreyar. Makarov had caught Natsu red handed, but instead of calling authorities, Makarov pulled out a twenty dollar bill and gave it to the boy. The old man told Natsu that if he was going to steal, he needed to be more slick with it._

 _For some reason, Natsu didn't want to take the money. A part of him felt like he was being mocked, like he was being given a handout. Another part of him just told him not to take it because the situation was strange to him. Makarov noticed Natsu's rejection to the bill, then proceeded to tell him of a place where Natsu could stay, but had to work for him so Natsu could earn food, shelter, and an education. At first Natsu told the old man that he was crazy and that he didn't need anyone's help. Nevertheless, Makarov told Natsu where to find the place and walked away._

 _Natsu was stubborn, but it didn't take long for him to end up at the doorstep of Fairy Tail, a home for troubled youths. It was winter, it was cold, and Natsu's ass was freezing. Makarov had greeted him once more, welcomed Natsu to his house, and gave Natsu a job to do._

 _From then on, Natsu worked to be feed, sheltered, and cared for. He had made some friends at Fairy Tail; it was where he met his friends Gray, Erza, Cana, Lisanna and her siblings. They all had no families, but they didn't need to share anymore details of their past. Natsu grew close to these people, he had even wondered if he could call them a family._

 _Then Natsu started school again, albeit he was a year behind since he was homeless for awhile, but the encouragement he received from Makarov gave him his resolve for a better life. Yet somehow, his past was still in his present. Coincidentally, Makarov owned Fairy Tail's boxing gym. As a teenager, Natsu had a lot of pent up energy that he needed to let loose, and Makarov suggested that Natsu would look good with two red boxing gloves on his fists. Natsu rejected the idea, he didn't want to do anything that reminded him of Igneel. It wasn't until Makarov's grandson, Laxus, came to stay at Fairy Tail to train._

 _Laxus came with a large build, which was largely intimidating. It had pissed Natsu off that Laxus had such a pompous attitude about himself. Natsu wanted to change that. Natsu knew that if he could beat Laxus in the ring, he could prove to Laxus that he wasn't as great as he thought. So Natsu began training a regiment that once was practiced by Igneel. Igneel was one of the best fighters Natsu had ever known, and he was willing to train like Igneel to beat Laxus. Then the day came where Natsu had challenged Laxus to a fight, an average sized fourteen year old versus a largely built eighteen year old. It was no fair fight by all means, but Natsu had stood his ground in the ring. Laxus had punched, taunted, and knocked down the pink haired boy several times, but Natsu kept getting back up with twice as much fire in his eyes every time. It amazed Laxus, and even though he won their fight, his respect for Natsu increased. It was then that Natsu had realized that boxing was something embedded into his being, and he'd be a fool to reject it. Even if it had reminded him of Igneel._

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Maybe the reemergence of this memory was a good thing. It reminded Natsu that there were more important things than his failing relationship.

Natsu had spent so long looking for Igneel, but it was time that he abandon that. It was time to make Igneel find him. Natsu was going to show Igneel who he was by becoming a professional boxer. Wherever the hell Igneel was, he was going to hear about the Mighty Salamander. Natsu was going to make Igneel regret leaving him.

With a steeled determination and anger, Natsu got up and out of the tent to pack everything so he could make his way to the gym. He was going to make sure that he was going to win against Zancrow next week. No distractions. No breaks. And no Lucy. This was about him now.

* * *

A/N: Yo! So ya boy didn't confront Lucy. He's gonna do that later. Just wait. Cuz I'm gonna try to put more angst into this shit. I totally got inspiration for some angst from Zuko. I rewatched the whole series in the past few days. And ironically for me, in the final episode where Sokka was luring the workers on the airship into a trap by saying it was someone's birthday. Well when I say it, it doesn't sound as funny or make sense. You just have to watch it. Also it's ironic because it's my birthday today. Which the majority of my friends forgot, but I was lowkey hoping they forgot. Anyways, please review and tell me what you thought about this chapter!


	7. Evanscent

_Shit_.

 _What a wonderful turn of events._

Lucy had just left Dan's apartment in the early morning to discover that there was bird shit right on the door handle of the driver's side of the car. After grabbing some hand wipes she had in the glove compartment of her car to clean the door, she started her car and made her way to the nearest cafe to get the energy boost that she needed. Sadly, as soon as she got her drink, a man had bumped into her and her iced coffee onto her white blouse.

It was obviously not her morning today, but the barista was nice enough to make her another drink to cheer her up.

All she wanted to do was go home and cuddle up in her warm blankets. _And maybe Natsu too_. Although she had fading interest in their relationship, Lucy couldn't deny the comfort of her boyfriend's indefinite warm body. Luckily, Lucy always came prepared and had a spare sweater in her trunk to wear over her coffee soaked shirt.

 _Could really use one of Natsu's joints right now_.

But it was too early in the day to be chiefing, so she continued to get back in her car and take her usual route home.

Once she had picked out her keys from her purse and opened the door, Lucy had come home to an empty apartment. Not an unfamiliar experience. Natsu would usually be on a morning run around this time. What was odd though, was the tent and the radio that was sitting next to the closet door. Inspecting the items more closely, she noticed that _Redfox_ was etched in black marker on both of the objects.

 _Why would Gajeel's tent and radio be here?_

Lucy had also noticed that Natsu's red cooler was sitting on a chair by the kitchen table. It had seemed like Natsu went out camping for the night.

"What the hell was he doing last night?", she asked to no one in particular. Lucy didn't think much of the camping supplies, but what really ticked her off was the pile of dirty laundry that totally missed the hamper. "He could've at least picked up his clothes", she groused.

 _Well, whatever. It's his mess, so he can clean it up._

Making her way into her room, the blonde recognized a familiar scent. _Did he smoke inside the apartment again?_ The smell wasn't that strong though. She had then noticed a jar on the bedside table. Natsu had left half a blunt in the glass jar that wasn't closed completely, hence the smell. Lucy picked up the jar to inspect the leftover ganja. It had that signature burnt weed smell, but it also had a sweet scent to it. Natsu probably used a dutch to roll the blunt; Lucy had no disregard for the dutch's sweet berry flavor. In fact, she prefered the roll over a swisher. Natsu's favorites were swishers, they had a sort of spicy flavor to them that he really liked. He didn't usually use dutches unless he was going to smoke with Lucy.

She stared intently at the blunt. Contemplating on smoking the rest.

 _Should I? But it's Natsu's. Then again, he only rolls a dutch for me._

She looked around the room to look for her candles and a cute little sploof Natsu got her. The blonde needed to make sure she was prepped to smoke for a bit. The scented candles and the sploof were enough to mask the dank smell. It wasn't that she hated the smell, she was just irritated with the way it lingered in the room. If her landlord ever found out, she would've been in trouble.

 _Shit. I have work today, don't I?_

Lucy checked her phone and saw that it was only around 8:30.

"Work is at 3."

 _Fuck it, might as well. I've had a shit morning and I'm tired. I deserve this._

Within the smoke, she found the ease to fall asleep.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

It was around 10 in the morning when Natsu had decided to take a break from his run to rehydrate and check his phone. It had become a habit for Natsu to put his phone on _do not disturb_ when he would go on his morning runs so he wouldn't get distracted, and because of this Natsu had an excuse for not replying on time. It also let Natsu check his messages without feeling bad for not replying, every now and then he just wasn't in the mood to talk. But in this situation, Natsu needed to think before he said anything.

 _Levy: Did you get to see Lucy last night?_

Though Natsu had displayed various acts of impulsiveness and not thinking about the consequences of his actions, he wasn't an idiot. If given the chance, Natsu had actually put a lot of thought into what he would say or do, especially when it had involved Lucy. Levy was Lucy's best friend, so there was a chance that she knew about Lucy and Dan. But then again, why would Levy help Natsu? If Levy didn't know about Dan, then it would mean than Lucy was keeping secrets from her. If Levy found out that Lucy was keeping something from her, it could ruin their trust in their friendship. Despite the circumstance, Natsu didn't think that he had it in him to take that away from her. He needed to keep quiet. Wait for the right moment to let things fall apart.

 _Natsu: Yeah, she was just back at the apartment. She was just really tired, so I packed up and went back. It's a bit of a bummer it didn't get to happen, but it was probably for the best. I think I heard coyotes out there last night._

After sending the text, Natsu continued with his run. It was much needed, this whole Lucy thing made him ache all over. It was so insane to him, he had given that much power to someone to have over him. For years, this attachment to her grew and grew and he let it happen. He allowed himself to be vulnerable like this. It was a mistake. He had to get away from it all.

Thinking to himself, Natsu pondered about the things he needed to do to get away.

 _That's probably what I should do first, find a place to live by myself away from her. Away from everyone maybe. I should probably check my credit first, then se-_

"Who the fuck is that?", muttering to himself after noticing a man with black hair standing outside of his apartment door.

Getting closer to his apartment, Natsu couldn't help but think that the man was oddly familiar. He could only see the side of his face, but there was something about him that made Natsu feel like he had seen him somewhere before. It was strange though, the man was just standing there. Reaching for the doorbell, but pulling his hand back at the last second. Twice. _Why?_ Once Natsu had reached the bottom of the steps that lead to the apartment door, he called out to the stranger.

"Can I help you?"

The man turned around, and it had felt like Natsu was looking at a stranger. Yup, this was a face he did not recognize. Who the fuck was this? The only thing familiar about this dude was probably his aura. Like a really depressing aura. Well that, and his hair. There was this small tuft of hair that stuck up on his head, which kind of looked adorable. Like a little kid waking up with bed head kind of adorable.

"H-hi. I-I um.. My name is Zeref. I'm just looking for someone. That lives here.", The man stuttered out. It was a surprising contrast to his appearance. The stranger wore a bright white button up with a sleek black tie and beige colored slacks. He also carried his ash grey coat over his arm as if he were a businessman. He probably was. But for a businessman, you would think he would have a more confident vibe. He talked like he was scared of something.

"Hey I don't bite. But do you mind me asking who you were looking for? Maybe I could help, I do live here by the way"

"Oh? Pardon my stuttering, I'm just nervous is all. I've been looking for my brother. It's been years since I've seen him. I just don't know what to say."

Geez Louise, what a pickle. Natsu could feel with him though. Afterall, he also had a brother he hadn't seen in years as well. "Well, I think the first thing to say after not seeing someone for a long time is 'I miss you'"

"I don't even know if he remembers me or not. Don't you think it would be odd to have a stranger tell you that they've missed you and you couldn't reciprocate the feelings?"

"Ya got a point there, well why don't I open up the door for you and we can talk about it inside?"

"I'd like that."

Going up the stairs, Natsu took out his keys and opened the door for himself and the stranger. As Natsu opened the door and began to walk in, he had asked "So what's the name of this brother yer lookin for? Might be my neighbor after all."

"Oh right! His name is Natsu. Natsu Dragneel."

After hearing his name, Natsu froze in the middle of the doorway.

"Is something wrong?"

Natsu's eyes were wide. He turned around and looked at the stranger. "Z?", it was just a whisper, but still loud enough to be heard by the person in front of him.

A small gasp escaped his lips, but he immediately replied, "Natsu?"

After his reply, Natsu began to fully realize what had just occurred. Luckily the man was still outside, and the first thing that popped into Natsu's mind was to close the door. And close the door he did, right in the man's face.

"W-wait! Natsu! Please open the door, I just want to talk. I- I missed you", Zeref had shouted through the door.

 _Christ, the irony of it all_

Natsu didn't say anything. He just leaned back against the door and waited to see what else Zeref would say.

"Look I know it's been a while"

At this, a burst of anger filled Natsu, causing him to open up the door to shout back at him. "Awhile?! It's been almost 20 years!"

Zeref was surprised to see the door open again, but he just replied with his eyes downcast. "I know, I know. That's why I came here. I needed to see you again. I needed to talk to you."

Clenching his jaw, Natsu took a moment to take a breath before he could speak. "Fine you wanna talk, then let's talk. Just not here. There's a cafe we could walk to around the corner"

Looking up, Zeref smiled and thanked Natsu. They both had walked down the stairs and made their way to the nearby coffee shop. The walk was silent. The only time either one had spoken was when they had arrived at the cafe to order their drinks. After grabbing their drinks and finding a place to sit, Natsu was the first to speak.

"How did you find me?"

"Gosh where do I begin?", Zeref asked himself. "Well, I think the first thing I did was look up the orphanage we stayed at when we were young. Unfortunately the place was boarded up and abandoned, so after that I researched into the place to see if there was anything on record about you. I found out that you were adopted, but I guess something happened to you that made you go off grid"

"Well let's just say you aren't the only one to leave me", Natsu said with his eyes stuck on the cup of coffee in between his hands.

Zeref paused for a bit when he noticed the pain behind Natsu's eyes. He had struck a chord in his brother after mentioning the adoption. He took a sip of his coffee to make it seem like he hadn't noticed anything and began again. "I struggled to find information about you after you went off grid, so I looked up your foster father. I didn't find out much about him, but I looked into his history with boxing and I found you. The Dragon Prince."

Natsu looked up inquisitively, his facial expressions asking for clarification.

"I found an article about your foster father winning a match, and there was a picture of him with you on his shoulder. He was the Fire Dragon King, and the article nicknamed you the Dragon Prince", Zeref pulled out his phone and showed the picture to his sibling. "Then it had occurred to me that you might have followed in his footsteps and I was right. I just searched up your name and boxing on google, and there you were on the front page for a boxing gym's website."

"Wait, if you saw a picture of me, how come you didn't notice who I was when I saw you?"

"You had your hood on, I didn't get to see your hair. When I saw you at the bottom of the stairway, I just thought you were someone else who had lived in the same building as my brother."

"How did you get my address though?"

"I asked around at the boxing gym you go to, and the old man there was kind enough to tell me."

"Did you tell him that you're my brother?"

"Well, I think it would've been odd to ask for your address without saying that I was related to you"

"Good point. But did you talk to anyone else?"

"No just the old man, why?"

"I just don't like it when the guys pry into my private life. They like to gossip, even though they'll never admit it", Natsu said as he pressed two fingers into his forehead.

"You're not wrong, gossip is for guys, and talking shit is for chicks"

Hearing this, Natsu let out a small laugh. "Hah ha, where the hell did that come from?"

"I don't really know to be honest, I just heard it somewhere and it stuck with me", Zeref admitted.

Slowly, the ice began to break. The brothers began to talk to each other. Zeref had explained who he was, his reasons for looking for Natsu, and his reasons for leaving Natsu. Zeref was a successful self-made businessman. He had put himself through years of school and an advanced education to be the person he was now. Apparently he was the founder of a biotech company that specialized in building mechanical limbs that would help support children and adults that were disabled. It was still in the works, but it's future was promising. As Zeref continued to grow his business, he realized that something was missing. His brother. The brother that he had wanted to build a better future for. Being a young child that he was at the time, Zeref had only wanted to find a way to get his brother and himself out of the orphanage, but he couldn't just take his little brother with him on the streets looking for a new place to live. So at the time, it had seemed that running away to find a new home for himself and his brother was a good idea.

"So what now?", Natsu questioned.

"Pardon me?", Zeref looked at him with confusion

"Well you said you wanted to find me, and now you have. What are you gonna do now?"

"I was actually just kind of hoping to see if you'd be willing to let me back into your life again. I know that what I did to you was so immensely wrong, and I will do anything to earn your forgiveness. I just want to fill in all those lost years of not having my brother with me"

Natsu didn't know what to say. It was so much to process. Finding out that he had a brother that lived an extravagant life without him, yet Natsu was still an important figure in Zeref's life. There was someone who actually cared about him.

Having been met with silence, Zeref spoke up, "Look, I know it's a lot to take in. I want to take this slowly." Zeref stood up reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small card and placed it in front of Natsu. "Here, take this. It has my contact info on it. Just call if you want to talk".

"Thank you"

"It was good to see you again Nat"

"Nat?"

"I called you that when you were young. Well, I better get going now. I hope we can meet again soon."

"Yeah"

Natsu watched his brother get up and walk out of the cafe. This would be the second time for him to watch his brother walk away, but the first time to know that he would come back.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

The buzzing of a phone alarm had woken Lucy up from her _medicated_ nap. Taking a moment to stretch her arms to fully wake her up, the blonde had then noticed the messages she had received from Levy.

 _Levy: Hey did you like the mix cd Natsu made? I helped him you know._

 _Levy: It's a shame you guys didn't get to spend the night out under the stars. Natsu was really looking forward to that. But at least none of you got mauled by coyotes._

Lucy's eyebrows had scrunched up together in her confusion.

"Shit"

She was starting to put two and two together. The camping gear. Levy's texts. Natsu asking where she was last night. The dutch. He was trying to do something for her.

"Goddamn it", she muttered as she slapped the palm of her hand into her forehead. She could feel the guilt rising inside of her. It made her crave another smoke, but she had work soon. "Why am I like this"

~ _click~_

Turning her head toward sound, she realized that Natsu had just come home. _Fuck_. Although she had smoked hours ago, the cannabis was still in her system and was messing with her ability to concentrate. _I should probably say something to him. What would I say though?_ Without having to put much thought into her actions, she got up from her bed to greet her boy friend. As she walked out of her room, she heard Happy and Natsu.

 _Mmroowwww_

"Hey bud, I missed ya", Natsu said as he bent down to pet his feline's head. "You're probably hungry aren't ya?"

 _Prrrrrrr_

"Alright then, gimme a minute to open up a can for ya bud"

After opening up a can of cat food, Lucy watched her boyfriend kneel down to feed his blue cat.

Leaning up against the closest wall, Lucy spoke up to for her boyfriend to acknowledge her presence, "Hey"

Natsu's head shot up at the sound of her voice. He turned his head to glance at her for a moment, then back onto his cat before replying. "Hey"

"So… how was your morning run?"

"Good."

"Good. Did you do anything else today?"

"Uhh...nope. Just ran."

"Alright"

"Did you smoke?"

"A little."

"You should probably febreze the place up a bit"

"Yeah I was going to. Thanks for the dutch though."

"Huh?"

"You usually roll dutches for me"

"Oh yeah. You're welcome I guess."

There was a long pause in their conversation. During this pause, Natsu decided that it was time to tidy up the living room up a bit by putting the camping gear to the side.

"So what's up with tent and the radio?", she asked

"Jus' borrowed it from Gajeel for a bit"

"Why?"

"It was a clear night, I thought it would be nice to go stargazing for a bit"

"Stargazing? I love stargazing."

"I know"

"oh"

"I packed up a little early and headed home because I heard some coyotes"

"Sorry"

"About what? The coyotes?"

"No. For missing out on last night."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean it was probably better if you hadn't come since I packed up so early"

"Oh right, the coyotes"

"Yup."

"So we're good here?"

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"Ok"

"Well, I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go take a nap", Natsu had finished cleaning up and started to make his way to their room. Before passing by Lucy, he stopped beside her to give her a kiss on the cheek.

When the door closed, Lucy let out a deep breath. "We're fine". She had then noticed the time, it was an hour before she had to go to work. "Shit, I gotta get ready"

* * *

A/N: Hi. It's been awhile. This chapter is longer than what I have put out before, so I hope that can compensate for my absence. I just had a lot of things going on, and I still do. So don't expect another chapter to come so soon. Sorry, I'm trying my best here. There are so many things I want to do and there is only so much I can do with the amount of time that I have between school and work. I'm just really tired. But I'm happy. I finally got this out. I am also sleepy. So ima go to bed now. And as always, thanks for reading and please review. I am very much open to seeing your constructive criticism.


	8. Summit

NSFW ahead: Reader beware. If you're not down to clown look for these **

* * *

In an high rise apartment, overlooking the city, Lucy felt Dan's arms wrap around her waist from behind her. "Finally, I get to have you after all the teasing you've done tonight", he exhaled into her neck.

Lucy turned around to put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. "So what're you waiting for? Bedroom.", she said in a sultry voice

Dan had lowered his hands and reached below her well rounded ass and under her thighs to pick her up and have her legs wrap around his waist. Once Lucy's feet were off the ground she had pressed her lips against Dan's with her hands running through his hair on the back of his head. They had stumbled into the door of the bedroom, and Dan had pressed her back against the wall to deepen their kiss.

On the other side of the room, Lucy's phone had begun to ring whilst being plugged into the charger on the side of the night stand.

"You gonna get that?", Dan asked with huskiness in his voice.

"It's probably nothing, just let it go to voicemail.", Lucy dismissed, letting the phone continue to ring until it had stopped on its own.

"If you say so", Dan breathed out before kissing her again.

They had moved from the wall to the bed, with Dan laying Lucy down on her back continuing to shower her neck in more rough kisses. "Remember, no marks", Lucy reminded.

Before they could continue, Lucy's phone started to ring again. For awhile, she had let the phone ring a third and waited for it to stop again, until Lucy had felt fed up with being disturbed by her phone. Lucy groaned and pushed Dan off of her, "Ugh hold on, just let me check who keeps calling".

Dan had mumbled out a small "sure", while Lucy leaned over to the nightstand to look at her phone. Levy had been calling her, but before she got to pick up the phone, the ringing had stopped. Lucy took a moment to look at the other notifications on her phone. Levy had sent four texts and had called three times. Lucy unlocked her phone and read her messages.

 _Levy: Hey you're going to watch Natsu's fight right? ~ 6:54 p.m._

 _Levy: I'm going to be there with Gajeel ~ 7:20 p.m._

 _Levy: Do you want to grab drinks after? ~ 7:21 p.m._

 _Levy: Where are you? The fight is about to start in 15 min. ~ 7:46 p.m._

Lucy had then looked to the clock next to the charger, it was already 8:10. She had forgotten that Natsu had an important match that night. It was an exhibition match that could really make his career.

"Shit! I have to go.", Lucy said as she pushed herself up and off the bed

"What? But we just started", Dan complained

"I know, I know, but this is important. I have to go", Lucy explained

"It wasn't that important to you five minutes ago", Dan countered

His words had stung Lucy a bit. As of late, she had realized that she was really neglecting Natsu. She had asked him if they were okay, but even after hearing Natsu's answer, Lucy had a feeling they were standing on thin ice.

"Look, I just forgot alright. I have to go, I'm sorry." , Lucy crawled back into the bed to give Dan another kiss before packing her things, "I'll make it up to you, swear"

"You better"

With all her belongings together, she bent over the bed one last time to kiss Dan goodbye and left the apartment to go to Natsu's boxing match that she was already 15 minutes late to.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

"Mouth piece?"

"Check"

"Hand wrap?"

"Got it"

"Gloves?"

"Of course, Romeo. You know it's not necessary for you to do this."

"I know, I'm just making sure you're completely ready for this Natsu"

"Hey, this isn't my first rodeo. Win or lose, I'll give all I got", with a smirk on his face Natsu put his hand on dark hair to scuff it up a bit, "You believe in me right?"

"You know already know the answer", Romeo scoffed at Natsu's question.

"Then you know better than to doubt a Dragneel", Natsu said with a wide smile on his face.

At that moment a small thought had passed through Romeo's mind. There was something different about Natsu. There was something about the way he smiled. It was as if the brightness of his usually genuine smile had been dimmed. Before Romeo could point this out, Gildarts had walked into the locker room, "It's about time to get out there and show'em what you've got Natsu".

"Got it, thanks old man", the young blood teased with his trainer

When hearing the 'old man' remark, Gildarts pouted, "I ain't that old", he grumbled out as he walked out of the room, "kids these days, sheesh I ain't even past 45 yet"

The younger athletes laughed at their teacher's words.

"Alright, well I'll see you after I win, Ro"

"Good Luck Natsu"

With one last scruff to the top of Romeo's head, Natsu began to walk out of the locker room and headed into the ring. As he reached for the door, everything around Natsu had began to fade out, so he closed his eyes. Once he walked out that door, it would just be him, the ring, and his opponent. And once that gets done and over with, it would just be him. Alone. Again. When he had opened his eyes, he walked out the door on cue for the announcer.

" _LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME, THE FIERCE, THE FEROCIOUS, NATSU, THE DEMON, DRAGNEEL"_

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

"Goddamnit! Are you fucking with me right now?! Nice blinker asshole!", Lucy yelled to the jerk off in the dark blue Dodge charger who had just cut her off.

In the middle of traffic with little hope for movement, Lucy stopped to check on her phone and call Levy. After a couple rings, Levy had picked up, " _Lu! Where are you? Natsu is already in the ring"_

"Sorry, Lev! Some asshole just cut me off in the middle of traffic"

" _Traffic? How bad?"_

"Pretty bad Levy, but how's the match looking so far?", there wasn't much Lucy could do about the slow traffic, so she might as well be updated with the fight.

" _Zancrow was the first to throw a fist, but he's got nothing on Natsu's right hook."_. It had actually been awhile since Lucy saw Natsu in the ring. Boxing was always an exciting sport to watch, but there are times when it would get scary, even more so if you knew the person in the fight. It was one of the reasons Lucy had seen less and less of Natsu's fights. It was a struggle for her to see him get hurt. This was also how their relationship worked. Lucy began running away from Natsu, because she didn't want to admit she was hurting him.

"How many rounds in?"

" _The beginning of the second, do you think you'll make it in time?"_

"Shit, maybe.", it was hard for Lucy to say for certain. The exhibition was taking place on the other side of town where Dan's apartment was. Taking the bridge over there would've been a ten minute drive, but with a three-car pile up on the other side of the bridge, it was probably going to set her back half an hour. "There's less rounds this time right?"

" _Yeah only ten",_

 _Fuck._ "I'll make it before it ends. I gotta go Levy, the traffic is starting to move again."

" _Alright, I'll see you when you get here",_ Levy said before ending the call.

"I hope"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Blood fell from the cut above his left eye down onto his face and chest. His heart was pounding with the rush and adrenaline of backing his opponent onto the ropes. Zancrow was known for being a merciless boxer. But Natsu was never one to pull punches. From outside the ring, it would have seemed that Zancrow was going to have an early win due to his lack of bruising and cuts on his body. Yet, no one could see or feel what was going on in the ring except for Natsu. Zancrow was using less combinations and his footwork was slowing down. It didn't matter that Natsu was bleeding out and had blood in his eye, that everyone was betting on Zancrow to win, or that he hadn't seen Lucy's face anywhere in the crowd. All that was on Natsu's mind was endurance.

At the sound of the bell, the two fighters had broke the clinch they were in to go into their respective corners. As soon as Natsu sat down in the stool, Gildarts, Gray, and Romeo were all over him trying to stop his bleeding and give him details.

"You're a champ Natsu, but you've gotta block those shots!", Gildarts said with his voice gruff

"He's pretty damn quick"

"But you're faster. Open", Gray chimed in whilst spraying clean water in his mouth to rinse out the blood

"Just keep up the jabs, wear him down with some combos and finish with a sucker punch", Gildarts advised once more.

Gildarts continued to give Natsu more tips, but Natsu's mind was elsewhere. His eyes looking into the audience trying to find her. When meet with nothing, he had closed his eyes. Trying to forget, to force the thought of her down and hidden away. Focused on himself, and the situation at hand.

Natsu's thought had been cut short when the bell rang once more, signifying the next round.

"Alright Natsu! Go get 'em", Gildarts cheered

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

"Sweet jesus I made it!", Lucy exclaimed as she ran towards the fight from outside the building. She then pulled out her phone to call Levy to ask where she was in the crowd when she entered. After a few rings Levy had picked up, "Levy! Where are you I just got here!"

" _Lu! Great, I'm next to Gajeel near Natsu's corner"_

Lucy began to look around for Levy, but stopped to take in the sight before her. Natsu. Blood was dripping down his face, yet it seemed that he was not in pain. His expression stern and dark, which is something she's never seen before. It was like he was a whole other person. The man with the red shorts in the ring was quicker and more powerful than the Natsu she knew. If she had really known him.

" _Lu? Can you see us?"_ Levy had asked from the phone, but her question had fell upon deaf ears. Lucy was in complete awe of him. She had hung up her phone and continued to watch her boyfriend. He ducked swiftly, and blocked the many punches of Zancrow's fury. Natsu's opponent had a bloody nose and a frustrated look on his face. Clearly seeing that Zancrow was nearing the end of his rope, Natsu smirked. As he dodged another one of Zancrow's fist, Natsu had pivoted to the side and aimed for a couple of body shots with a quick hard jab to the face. It had knocked back Zancrow, making him even more furious.

Through the bloody mouth guard in his mouth, Zancrow cursed at Natsu, "Fucking punk!". Zancrow rushed back with a hard left hook, but Natsu was swift to dodge it and deliver a jab to the face. The boxers had then gotten too close to each other and began to clinch each other, "Bitch! I'll wipe that smug ass grin off your face", Zancrow threatened.

"Sure, you will", Natsu mocked

The two were eventually separated by the referee as the ninth round ended, and the fighters returned to their corners to proceed with the usual routine of cleaning up and rinsing out the blood on their faces.

Lucy had gotten the opportunity to make her way toward Levy and Gajeel. "Levy! Gajeel!", Lucy shouted over the crowd to catch their attention.

"About time you got here", Gajeel said with disdain

"I know I'm sorry, I just got caught up with a project"

"Tch", hearing him scoff Levy elbowed Gajeel in his ribs causing him to rub the sore skin, "ouch"

"It's alright Lu, it happens. You're here now and that's all that matters"

"Thanks Lev, so what's happened so far?", Lucy questioned

Levy had gone into detail on how the fight was neck and neck, with Zancrow dominating the first few rounds and Natsu beating down in the latter. They were coming into the final round that would decide the match. For the first time in a long time, Lucy had felt excited to see him. She had forgotten about the things that made Natsu who he is. The things she had loved about him.

A loud ring had signified the last round, and Natsu was getting back up again. Lucy had tried to call out his name to cheer him on and to let him know that she was there, but he hadn't heard her. The look on Natsu's face was so intense and focused, it looked like his stare would burn holes into his opponent.

Zancrow began throwing a flurry of punches, but Natsu was slipping past a majority of them. Natsu had rolled through enough punches to get close enough to Zancrow for a quick and hard jab upper cut to the face. His nose began to bleed, infuriating Zancrow even further. The blond fighter began to throw more punches that were rapidly becoming sloppy, that Natsu was able to dodge and block. Finally Zancrow had pulled a hard left, but before he could get anywhere close to Natsu, the pink haired fighter moved so quickly to deliver a hard right hook to the side of Zancrow's face. In that one hard hit, Zancrow fell to the floor, leaving Natsu to stand over his unconscious body.

The crowd watching had watched the scene play before them in complete silence, then to a loud uproar at how quick Natsu knocked out Zancrow. Lucy watched in complete amazement. The referee had ran over to the downed boxer and began counting, but the audience was still cheering on because there was no way in hell Zancrow was getting back up from that. With how hard Natsu got him down, Zancrow was going to need a CAT scan. It was so quick, it had almost seemed like Natsu's gloves were on fire.

When the ref had finished counting, Natsu was declared the winner of that match with a total knock out. Natsu's cornermen and couch started to crowding him and cheering. Lucy had lost sight of him in the crowd. She tried her best to make it to Natsu and congratulate him on his win, but he had disappeared into the locker room. Levy had noticed her disappointment in not being able to talk to Natsu, but assured Lucy that she would get to see him at the after party.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Later in the locker room, Natsu had finished washing off all the blood off his body and bandaged his cuts on his face. As he was finishing up gathering his belongings, Gildarts walked into the room with a well dressed man who was probably in his late 50's or early 60's behind him.

"Natsu, there's someone here I'd like you to meet. This is Precht Gaebolg, he manages professional boxers", Gildarts announced with a large grin on his face.

"Nice to meet you sir", Natsu reached out to shake the other man's hand.

"You've got a firm grip there young man, it's no surprise to me that these hands are the reason why you had such an outstanding performance in the ring"

"Well in my opinion, I only won because fighters like Zancrow have weak chins."

Precht chuckled at Natsu's comment, "Ha! Right you are my boy, that's also probably why you got him down as quick as you did"

"Well, that and Natsu's right hook is something else too", Gildarts included

"Ah, and that was what I wanted to talk to Natsu about, thank you Mr. Clive for reminding me." Precht said to Gildarts, then turned to Natsu to speak, "I've managed many professional fighters in my day, even when I was young I was watching boxers come and go out of the ring and back into it. Hell, I've even seen Makarov in his heyday"

"The old man Makarov?", Natsu was in disbelief

"Yup kiddo, Ol' Precht here has some history with the old man"

"Heh, that was a long time ago, we used to train in the same gym together. I had a short lived career, and I got into training and endorsing young blood boxers such as yourself as I got older. And I gotta tell ya Natsu, it's been a long time, and I do mean a long time since I've seen a fighter like you. Your ferocity and drive in the ring is out of this world, like a demon taking over and dominating"

"Thank you sir, I train as much as I can in between work and school"

"And I want to help you with that. You won't have to struggle with trying to feed yourself and keep a roof over your head anymore. You can just focus on what you're great at. I can provide you a way out of that and a way into professional boxing career. You'll be training with the best coaches, with state of the art equipment to push yourself further. In time you'll be fighting with other professional fighters in the big league and big arenas. Your fights will be on pay-per-view television, HBO, ESPN, and every other media format you can think of"

Natsu was speechless. He looked to Gildarts for his input. "Look Natsu, this is the best opportunity for you, and it's no joke. You have talent, skill, and determination. Whatever doubts you have, I can assure you that you are ready for this"

The young fighter was quiet for a moment. Without saying a word, Natsu stuck out his hand and smiled.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Arriving at the bar, Natsu could hear the people and music inside telling him that pretty much all his friends were inside. Inside the large crowd of friends inside had immediately cheered for him when he entered. One by one and two by two, the people inside the bar greeted Natsu and congratulated him on his fight. Getting closer to his close friends, his eyes had finally met with Lucy's

"Natsu…", Lucy had whispered. She started to move from her position on the barstool towards Natsu, but Gray had beat her to him

"AYEEE, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS DUMBBELL JUST DID THAT", Gray shouted as he put his arm around his best friend. Gray had grabbed a beer and handed it to Natsu, "Natsu, forreal tho, you were fucking fire out there"

"Bitch, you fucking know I was", Natsu continued to banter with Gray

"You did great out there, Natsu. One of your best fights yet", Erza spoke up

"Thanks Erz", Natsu looked to the red head with endearment. Erza was like an older sister to him and he looked up to her.

Gajeel then cleared his throat, and held up his drink, "Salamander, you did good"

"I'll drink to that!" Cana chimed in lifting up a bottle of henny, and everyone around Natsu followed in suit with their own glasses. "To Natsu"

"To Natsu", everyone had cheered

After almost everyone had talked to Natsu, the pink haired man had excused himself from the conversation by gesturing to the blonde at the bar. He was met with an understanding nod. He had finally got to Lucy and sat next to her at the bar. Both had struggled to find their words, but Lucy was the first to speak up, "Hey"

Looking away from her to the collection of alcohol and spirits on the wall behind the bar, he sipped his drink, "Hey"

"Natsu-"

"You were late", Natsu interrupted

"I know, and I'm sorry", Lucy apologized

"Why"

"I'm sorry, I was working on a project at school and time just slipped past me"

"So you forgot"

"No, well, yes, but I didn't mean to", Lucy tried to reason

Natsu was quiet, and continued to finish his beer. It was hard to tell what Natsu was feeling and what was on his mind. He ordered another beer, then turned to Lucy.

"It's okay. I understand", Natsu said softly with a gentle smile that warmed Lucy's heart

She lunged towards him to wrap her arms around his body. "You're so amazing, I love you", tears had welled up in her eyes, and she was thankful Natsu couldn't see her.

Natsu returned the hug by putting his arms around her waist, "I love you too"

Getting back to the real world around them, they both noticed the song change to one of their favorite throwbacks, "Hey isn't this Ice Cube", Lucy asked

"Yea, Good Day", Natsu answered. His body then began to move to the infectious mellow vibe of the song, which then made him ask, "Do you wanna dance?"

Lucy nodded and they made their way to a clear space and started to move with the song. Their bodies were close together grooving to the beat, their arms still draped over each other. Their eyes focused on each other. Lucy moved her eyes to the cuts on his face, she then put her hand on the back of Natsu's head to move him down a bit. Soft lips met bruised skin. When she had finished kissing all of the visible cuts and bruised skin on his face, Natsu lifted her chin with one of his hands and kissed her like it was the last time he would ever kiss her. In that moment, Lucy had felt time stop and it was like it was only the two of them in the room together.

The two had continued to dance together for a few more songs until Natsu had asked her if she wanted to head out. The two made their way out of the bar, telling their friends goodbye and called a lyft to their apartment.

**By the time they opened the door, they were already clawing and tugging at each other's clothes. Several articles of clothing were left in a trail leading to their bedroom. Natsu slid his hands lower right underneath her soft yet firm ass and lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Closing the door to their room, Natsu shoved her against the door and continued to shower her bare neck and body with kisses. As he lowered his kisses on her body, he let her legs down so she could fingers glided over her skin softly, to pull her panties down her shapely hips and slender legs. She was painfully beautiful. Every mole, freckle, dimple, stretch mark, and scar on her body was beautiful. Lucy immediately threw her hands down on to Natsu's scalp, tugging at his hair when he began to tease her pussy with his tongue. He reached a hand around her thighs up to that thick ass and gripped on to give it a good squeeze. Her moans urged him on to eat her the fuck out. He wanted her to scream out his name. This one time, he wanted to hear her call out for him, like he was the only thing she's ever wanted.

Lucy moved her leg over Natsu's shoulder so he could get a better hold on her supple ass. With his other hand, Natsu reached under her to drag his fingertips over Lucy's slick heat. Natsu's tongue started to flick back and forth over her clit, and he slid in a long finger deep enough to tease just the right spot inside of her.

"Fuck", Lucy bit her lip from the intense sensations. He was just as ferocious in bed as he is in the ring. Lucy repeated to pant, moan, and curse, but she had yet to moan his name. As she inched closer to her climax, Natsu pulled back and stood up.

Lucy whined, "Why'd you stop?"

"Get on the bed and bend over with your hands on the wall", he ordered in a deep husky voice

Lucy felt like she got ten times wetter at the sound of his voice. She quickly got her knees onto the bed and stretched her arms forward on the wall behind the bed. Natsu removed his boxers and got behind Lucy. He slapped her right cheek and grabbed it before sliding his hand around to pinch her nipples. Gyrating his hips against her backside, his thick cock grinded against her wet slit. Lucy started to move her hips along with his, wanting more of Natsu.

"Fuck, stop teasing", Lucy bit out

"Beg for it", Natsu said in that voice again.

Lucy moaned, "Please"

"Please what?", Natsu continued to tease

"Natsu, just fuck me already, please. I want you", Lucy breathed out

He immediately grabbed her hips and pushed his length into her. Lucy's back dipped at the full feeling Natsu gave her. Pulling back, Natsu snapped his hips back into Lucy's, causing one of her hands to leave the wall onto where Natsu's fingers were digging into her hips. Building up a fast and steady rhythm, Natsu licked up the curve of her spine making Lucy moan his name again. He leaned his body over into her back and began to nibble on and whisper sweet nothings into her ear.

Feeling closer to his climax, Natsu started to snap his hips faster and harder into Lucy's and rubbed her clit with his fingers ensuring she would cum before him. In a matter of minutes, Lucy came apart in his arms, screaming his name. Natsu keep pounding into her prolonging her sex high until he let go inside her.

Coming down from their highs, the two fell asleep in each other's arms. **

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

The next morning, Lucy woke up reaching her arms to the warm body next to her, but opened her eyes in disappointed when she found out Natsu wasn't there. She sat up and looked around the room and was reminded of the night before. Lucy had smiled to herself, it had been a long time since they had gotten it on like that. Wanting more of Natsu, she got off the bed and pulled on a pair of clean panties and one of Natsu's shirts over her body.

The blonde walked out of the room and into the kitchen where she found Natsu sitting quietly at the table drinking coffee in a sweater and jeans with fresh baked goods in front of him. Striding over to him, she came up from behind him and threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Missed you", Lucy kissed him again and looked to the pastries, "Thanks for the breakfast, where'd you get it?"

"A place that's a couple neighborhoods over."

"Smells so good", Lucy hummed against him.

"Yeah it does. I also ran into someone while I was there though"

"Who?"

"Dan Straight."

Lucy froze. She pulled away from Natsu, trying to think of what to say. Hoping that he didn't know. "Really? Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah actually. I found out he goes to the same school as you. He even shares a class with you."

"He does, sorry I forgot to mention it to you.", Lucy walked around Natsu and pulled out a chair to sit on.

His eyes were focused onto his coffee. "He said he was working a class project with you. Is that true?"

"Yes.", Lucy said quietly

"Is that why you were late?", Natsu questioned again. Lucy's palms were beginning to sweat, her heartbeat rising.

"Yes.", her voice was shaky.

Natsu lifted his head and looked at her. As if he was asking for the truth in his dark eyes. Lucy tried to say something but no words would come out. Breaking the silence, Natsu spoke up and looked back down to his coffee again.

"After the fight last night, I talked to an agent. Said he could help me with my career. He wants me to start training professionally as soon as possible."

"That's great news Natsu, I'm so happy-", Lucy tried to say before Natsu interrupted her

"I'm leaving in a week"

"What?"

"He wants me training out of state, and I'll be moving around often for fights", Natsu explained, "I'll have my things out of here in a few days. And don't worry about the rent, I talked to the landlord, and got her to lower the rent for you"

Lucy was speechless. She didn't know what to think with the information Natsu was giving her.

Natsu spoke up again, "I know about Dan"

Her heart sank at his words. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for anything to happen with him. But Natsu please know this, I love you. I really do", Lucy pleaded

He was quiet again. Natsu got up and made his way towards the door but stopped with his hand on the door knob. "I really wish I could believe that.", with those last words Natsu walked out and left a teary eyed Lucy.

* * *

A/N: Yo! Sorry it took awhile for this to come out. Tbh I forgot about this for awhile and all my focus was elsewhere. But that doesn't matter anymore bc I got this done. And it's the longest chapter I've done so far. This is also the first nsfw piece I've done, so please excuse my lingo, it is actually so hard to describe a vagina. I had to look up "vagina words" to help me write, some of them made me crack up though, like "Hot Pocket", "Penis Fly Trap", and "Meat Curtains". Jfc i can't take the internet seriously anymore. Anywayy, I hope to the people reading this, that you enjoyed my work. And hopefully I can get another chapter out soon. No promises though.

 _Disclaimer: not 100% sure if I really need to say it on a fanfic site bc I think it usually speaks for itself that I don't own Fairy tail, I'm just exercising my creative writing skills and appreciating the characters Hiro Mashima has created in my own way._


	9. Wounds

Looking at the directions on his phone, Natsu was a bit confused as to where he was walking to. After leaving the apartment, Natsu had plans to meet with his brother to discuss moving in together. Natsu just needed a place to stay until his career took off, which was in the near future. He looked down the street to find the bakery that Zeref was at, but became frustrated when he couldn't find it.

"Goddamnshit google maps, you are of no help right now"

The display on his phone showed that he was standing right in front of the store, but Natsu had yet to see a bakery. Looking around again, he noticed something behind a couple of glass doors. Behind the doors were little shops in between the building complex. He entered the space, and was in wonder of what was in front of him. Inside were stairs going up one floor with small stores and businesses on each level. The best way he could describe the area was that it was like a small mall. He began walking up the stairs of the small mall, and noticed a warming aroma of coffee and bread. In the corner of the second level, he spotted the bakery and saw his brother inside.

Once inside, Zeref had greeted him. "Hey you made it"

"Yeah, sorry I'm a little late. I had a little trouble finding this place"

"I figured you might have, this place is kind of a hole in the wall"

Sitting down at the table with his brother, Natsu grabbed the little pink paper menu in front of , him. Peeking around the room, it was clear that the bakery wasn't exactly a five star restaurant. It seemed like a mom-and-pop kind of establishment. And it didn't really help that the menu was only in chinese. Natsu was a bit confused as to why his brother would want to eat here, "So why breakfast here? Not that there's anything wrong with the place, I just thought you would want to meet in more of a diner setting."

Natsu wasn't trying to judge, it was clear that Zeref was a well-off person. He was just trying to make sense of the choice of a very cheap place to go to.

"I know, it seems off. But this place has some pretty good coffee and some killer egg tarts"

A short older man with a gentle smile on his face came up to the table and placed down cups of coffee, while a woman with greying hair came up from behind with the plates of egg tarts.

After thanking the the two, Natsu looked down at the egg tarts in front of him. "Damn."

It was beautiful. The crust looked incredibly flakey and buttery, while the egg custard was perfectly golden on top that shined with a clear simple syrup glaze that was brushed over the pastry.

"I know right", Zeref smirked. He was happy seeing that his brother was impressed by the small tart.

Taking a white plastic spoon from the small metal rack that sat on the end of the table, Natsu dug into the egg tart and took his first bite. His eyes rolled back at flavor and smooth texture of the custard, and the light buttery crisp from the flakey crust was a perfect match for the sweet filling. Finishing the bite that was in his mouth, Natsu quickly went in for more and moaned. "Oh my god", he mumbled out through his egg tart filled mouth.

"Told you man", Zeref said as he sipped on his coffee, "They have some pretty killer steamed pork buns here too if you want"

With his cheeks filled with the other two egg tarts that were on his plate, Natsu nodded his head pointed at his mouth, " _These too, please"_

Laughing at his brother's antics, Zeref called out to the old man to order more food.

"Alright, so before the food gets here, let's talk about you moving Natsu"

"Yeah definitely, and thanks again for letting me stay with you in Alvarez. Now that I got signed with this boxing promoter, I'll be training in a more professional gym, and it's about a thirty minute drive from Alvarez"

"Don't sweat it, we're brothers. It's the least I could do. But damn! A professional gym? So does that mean you're a professional boxer now?"

"Well not right now, but once I get into a new training regiment on a regular basis and getting in the ring with other boxers, I will be."

"I'm glad. And proud if I'm allowed to be.", Zeref added

Confused Natsu pressed Zeref as to why Zeref would be proud, "What for?"

"You"

"Why?"

"For years I have wondered where you were, what you were doing, if you were alone or not. I know I haven't really been apart for your life for long, but I can't help but feel pride that you were able to overcome so much on your own. And so have I. There's this pride I feel knowing that resilience is a common trait we have. Like it runs in _my_ family."

Natsu listened carefully to each word that came from his brother's mouth. Watching the way Zeref talked and how his eyes would look down or out the window, then moving back onto himself. Natsu saw nothing but pure sincerity.

" _Our_ family.", Natsu corrected. "We aren't alone in the world anymore. With all the things going on in my life right now, I'm actually really grateful that you're here right now".

"I couldn't agree more"

As if on cue, the waitress came up to the table a small cart holding round wooden containers. She placed the container onto the table and lifted the lid on top, releasing a symphony of scents and steam. Beneath the clearing steam laid four white glistening fluffy buns filled with deliciousness. "Enjoy.", the small waitress greeted.

With a wide smile Natsu thanked the waitress again, and immediately stabbed a fork into the pork bun and split it open. The brownish red of the meat filling stuck out greatly against the soft white of the bun. It was sublime. It was like his taste buds transcended into another universe. "Oh my fucking god. How do you know where to find food this good?", Natsu said with his cheeks full.

"Well I've many connections for starters. I own hotels internationally, and on my business ventures, I've met many people. And I really like getting to know who I work with and who works for me. One of the chefs working at my hotel has parents who own their own little stand at a night market. And they have relatives here who happen to be the owners of this establishment. And when I told my chef I was coming here, he recommended I come to this store and what I should order. And I must say, he never disappoints me." Zeref explained.

Natsu was in awe. His brother was nothing like he expected. In his head he imagined his brother being a hothead like himself, but after finding out his brother's wealth, he figured Zeref was a snob. Yet, the black haired man before him was anything but that. Zeref was kind, understanding, and was unbiased. "Well, you better show it because I'm about to eat all of these by myself." , the younger brother teased with a taunting grin.

Smiling back at his brother, Zeref goaded, "You sure about that? I could eat twenty of these."

"I could eat thirty", Natsu challenged staring Zeref down

While still staring back at Natsu with a teasing glare in his eyes, he called out to the waitress, "Qǐng zàilái wǔ fèn dìngdān".

Confused as to what Zeref had just said, Natsu lifted a brow, "What?"

"You know, having a business in foreign countries has its perks. I've picked up a bit of the language. It helps to communicate with business partners and it especially makes it easier more food", Zeref grinned

"I like how you think"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Lucy sat on her bed with tears in her eyes as she stared at the bulletin board on the wall that had belonged to Natsu. It was like she was seeing it for the first time. She forgot how sentimental he could be. There was a molar in a little plastic bag that was labeled, ' _FIRST TKO'_. She smiled, she remembered that fight. It was when they were in their senior year, and Natsu made a bet with Grey that he could win with a ko. Natsu punched Max Alors so hard it caused Max's mouth guard to fall out. Natsu didn't even notice and punched Max again, knocking out Max and making a tooth go flying.

She moved her eyes toward the top corner of the bulletin board and saw old polaroid pictures of them at their first bonfire in their junior year when they first met. The pictures had a bad orange tint to them since the film was exposed, but there was still a faint image of Natsu with melted chocolate and marshmallows on his face with Lucy next to him trying to clean him up.

Getting up she moved closer to the board and looked at the strip of film that had come from a photobooth. It was taken a year after they had graduated from high school. She and Natsu had met up with their friends and had a little reunion in the summer to take a break from college and work. Things were a little awkward between them at the time, but being with old friends, Lucy had let go of her inhibitions. She had fun hanging out with Natsu, and he made her feel like she wasn't alone.

Suddenly, guilt washed over her. He must have felt so isolated and alone when she had shut him out. Only going to him when she needed something. She had been so selfish lately. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't even know what Natsu was up to anymore. Sure she knew about his boxing, but she couldn't even remember the last time she asked him how his day was.

She began to tear up again, and reached for her phone. She began to call Levy, and after a few rings, Levy picked up.

" _Hey Lu, what's up?"_

After all the crying she had done, her voice was raw and raspy, "Hey Levs, are you busy right now?"

" _I'm just running a few errands. Are you okay? You sound like you've been crying"_

"Yeah, I have. I just really need to talk to someone right now. Can you come over?", Lucy was trying her best to hold in her tears.

" _Of course, just give me like fifteen minutes."_

"Okay.", Lucy sniffled.

" _I'll see you soon okay? Bye Lu"_

"Bye"

After the call ended, Lucy sank down against the wall beneath the board and let it all out. She had felt angry at herself for hurting Natsu the way that she did. He was such a good person and didn't deserve any of the pain she had caused him. And it had hurt her even more to know that he was going to leave so quickly. She didn't even know where he was going. Yet, it had felt like she had lost the right to know.

Lifting her head up, she looked to the ceiling and murmured, "Please come soon Levy"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

"Xièxiè! Zhànshí zàijiàn", Zeref said to the storekeeper as he and Natsu walked out the door with little take out boxes

"Thank you for the food!", Natsu yelled from outside and waved to the workers.

"Told you it was more than it seemed"

"Dude you gotta take me to more places like that. It's literally just a hole in a wall, but like heaven on earth at the same time."

"I know so many places like that. When I was living on my own as a kid, I had a few odd jobs here and there to keep myself fed. So I figured working at small stands and restaurants would have its perks. The experience really humbled me."

"So how'd you do it?", Natsu asked

"Do what?", Zeref replied a bit confused

"How did you end up owning highly rated hotels internationally, from working at a food vendor stand"

"Well, I was one of those kids who graduated highschool at thirteen. My boss was a really good person, and he encouraged me to go to a good college. And I did, I finished relatively early too. In three years I earned my bachelors in business."

"So how'd you get into the hotel business?", Natsu continued to ask as they made their way outside of the small mall.

"I had become close to one of my professors and through my professor I had met so many people with great influence. I met this architect who came up with such grand designs I knew I had to introduce him with a friend of mine who was a interior designer."

"When did you get your first hotel?", the younger sibling proceeded to ask out of pure curiosity of how his brother made his wealth.

"For years we talked about starting a hotel together, but I was just too young at the time. No one took me seriously. But we still developed the plans and designs together as I was earning my masters."

"Are you serious? How old were you when you got your masters?", Natsu was in complete disbelief. His brother sounded like a genius.

"I was seventeen when I got my bachelors, and it took me about four years to earn my masters, so I was about twenty two. That was actually around the time I my friends and I finished our plans to build a hotel." , Zeref went on in further detail as they walked down the sidewalk.

"We actually didn't get to start building the hotel right away, I had actually gotten into the hotel business by recommending my friend the interior designer to a hotel owner I met at a party. Then from there I told him about my education and how he could gain more revenue by having seasonal deals to attract more tourists. I became business partners with him and he helped fund my hotel, which then became hotels after realizing that I made him a fortune"

Natsu's mouth hung open listening to his brother's story. Zeref had made so much progress in his life in such a short amount of time. Zeref looked to his brother who was still processing the information that was given to him, "I know, it's hard for me to believe too. It's such a cliche rags to riches kind of thing."

"What ever happened to your old boss?"

"I actually gave him some shares to my hotels. He's retired peacefully and currently residing at a vacation home", Zeref smiled, "It was the least I could do, he was like a father to me"

"I used to know a person like that", Natsu said softly

Noticing the change in mood in his brother, an idea came to him. "Did you want to see a picture of _our_ parents?"

"You have a picture of them?", Natsu had no memories of his birth parents. He was orphaned at such a young age, he couldn't remember what his mother's face looked like anymore.

"I have some family pictures that I saved from the fire. I have one in my wallet right now.", Pulling out his wallet, he picked through his cards and pulled out an old photo that was still in good condition. Zeref must have taken good care of the picture after all these years.

Natsu's eyes were filled with wonder as he looked at the man and woman in the photo. "Woah, is that our dad?"

"Yeah, you have his hair and eyes"

"So it is genetics… I always thought it was like a mutation or something", Natsu gasped

"Well, it probably is that too, I just see it as a hereditary thing. But it skipped over me, I got our mother's hair"

Natsu stared at the dark haired woman in the picture. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, but she held such a warm and beautiful smile as she was holding on to a baby. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah", Zeref sighed. Looking at the picture had hurt sometimes. And it showed.

"You must miss them so much"

"I do. Our mother gave this to me before she died"

There was a bit of a pause. Natsu wasn't sure if he should ask, yet he felt like he just needed to know. "How did they die?"

"House fire. The fire department explained that our neighbor was smoking inside his house and caused a fire. He died because he was passed out drunk on his couch. The embers of the cigarettes got mixed with the liquor and started a fire. It spread to our house. I remember mom waking me up and smoke started to fill up the room.", Zeref paused to take a breather. It wasn't easy thinking about such traumatic events.

"You don't have to finish, I totally get it if you don't want to talk about it anymore", Natsu spoke up

"No, you should know this." Zeref answered back, "I had to put on some clothes because it was freezing out, once I had done that I went down the stairs like mom told me to, and I saw her come down the stairs after me. She was holding you in her arms while dad was still upstairs trying to put out the fire with an extinguisher. We went outside, but we hadn't realized how big the fire really was. The fire already had consumed most of outside of the house, but dad was still inside. Mom told me to stay outside to watch you, and she went back inside to get dad. But because the house was pretty old, it had collapsed". The memory was branded into Zeref's mind forever, "I watch the fire burn the entire building into nothing" .

Natsu was speechless. He was so unsure of what to say. For so long, he had always thought that he was abandoned by his birth parents. He never would have thought that he had a loving family. He had a mother and father that loved for him and made sure that they were safe.

Not wanting to end on such a depressing note, Zeref spoke up again, "Our mother was a photographer, she took all these portraits and pictures that I still have. I could show them to you once you move in with me". He looked to Natsu with sad eyes but a bright smile.

"I'd like that"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

After about fifteen minutes on the dot, Lucy got a text from Levy saying that she was outside. The blonde immediately texted back letting Levy know that the door was unlocked. Right when the short blue haired girl walked inside the apartment, Lucy came up to her with red puffy eyes and hugged her whilst still holding onto her grocery bags.

Levy returned the hug to comfort her best friend. "What's wrong Lucy?"

Lucy started to weep again, "I did something really shitty, you're gonna hate me for it."

"Lu nothing you could say or do will make me hate you. You're my best friend, I'll love you regardless", Levy tried to console her friend

"You promise?"

"I promise"

"Can we sit down and talk about it."

"Let me make some tea for us" Levy offered.

The two walked into the kitchen, and Levy went over to the cabinets to grab the tea kettle and put her bag down on the table as she passed. With her back facing Lucy, she continued to ask while filling up the kettle with water, "So what did you do that was so shitty?"

Taking a deep breath, Lucy replied, "I've been sleeping with someone else"

Levy almost dropped the kettle, "What?", she was in shock. "With who?"

"This is the part you're gonna hate me for"

"Lucy who is it", Levy urged

"Dan Straight."

Levy was at a loss for words. Lucy could feel the tears start to build up again. Seeing her friend in such distress, Levy quickly put the pot onto the stove and sat next to Lucy to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay. We all make mistakes sometimes. You can talk to me"

Using a tissue to dry the corner of her eyes, Lucy began to speak again, "Natsu knew about it. And this morning he told me he knew and that he was leaving"

"He's leaving?", Levy was incredulous

"After his fight last night, he talked to a manager who could help him with his career. He made a deal, and now he's leaving. I hurt him so bad Levy", Lucy's voice broke

Levy was quiet for a moment, thinking about what Lucy had just told her. "Where were you that night Natsu said he was looking for you?"

Catching onto Levy was talking about, Lucy became scared to answer. Levy had a strong feeling that she knew what the answer was, but she had to hear it from Lucy herself. "With Dan"

Levy was quiet again, but after a moment she spoke up again, "Lu. I love you and I accept you for all your flaws but you really fucked up."

"I know", Lucy cried

"I really don't want to make you feel worse than you already do, but you should know that Natsu was really looking forward to spending that night with you"

"He deserves so much better", Lucy put her hands on the table and laid her head down on her arm.

The blue haired girl looked to her friend with sympathy. At least Lucy felt bad, she wasn't just some cold hearted bitch. Hearing the pot whistle, she got up to pour the hot water into the mugs with tea bags. She brought them over to the table and put them down. Levy then began to pat Lucy on the head, "Hey you know what you could use right about now?"

Turning her head, to face Levy, Lucy sniffled once more and asked, "What"

"Couple of friends of mine that I know you're familiar with, one is named Ben and the other Jerry"

"Is it strawberry cheesecake?", Lucy pouted

"Yes"

"May I have some please?"

"Of course."

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

After spending the morning with his brother, Natsu had gone to the gym to work out a bit. But mostly to talk to Grey and Makarov since they were usually there around the afternoon. Right when he walked past the doors, the pink haired man made his way into Makarov's office.

"Ah, Natsu just the person I wanted to talk to"

"I have to tell you something gramps"

"You're leaving"

"You know?"

"Boy I've been knowing since last night when I saw Precht"

"And you're okay with it?", Natsu looked at Makarov and saw a solemn expression on his face. Natsu had only ever seen Gramps look like that once in his life, and that was when Laxus left for college.

"Natsu, I have known you for a long time. You have continuously pushed yourself past your limits and made yourself a better fighter from it. You have gone through so much, I would be ashamed of myself if I were to tell you that you shouldn't take this opportunity that you've worked so hard for"

Natsu walked over to the old man and hugged him tightly, "Thank you so much"

"You've brought me great joy to my life boy. As if you were one of my own" . Makarov Dreyar had such a strong influence on Natsu and helped him become the man he is now. Steeled and determined at such a young age, Makarov guided him to lead an honest life. But it was not only Natsu who saw the old man as a parental figure. This man had taken in kids with hurt inside of them and with a bad attitude about the world and made them into respectable and kind people. Grey and Erza had grown up with him while living with gramps. Letting go of Natsu, Makarov expressed a concern he had, "Even though you have my complete support, it's not just me you should be telling goodbyes to my child."

Natsu sighed, "I know, I was getting to that. Grey is here right?"

"Yes, I saw him come in not too long ago. It's best to tell him as soon as possible"

"I know. He'll be angry."

"He will, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still your best friend."

Natsu sighed again and looked around the room. There were cut out newspaper articles of every fight won by the fighters that trained in Makarov's gym. There were some of Grey's, Gajeel's, and his own. Without the support from gramps, he didn't think he would've made it so far. "Thank you. For everything."

Makarov smiled, "You're welcome, now go on. Talk to Grey and knock the shit out of each other"

"Will do Gramps", Natsu laughed as he walked out of the office.

* * *

A/N: I'm on winter break! I'm like 100 percent sure I passed my animation class with an A. I'm actually really proud of myself for that. Frame by frame animation is such tedious work. But it's so satisfying seeing my work come to life.

Now that I've had a few days into my break,I think I've made a lot of progress for this story. And by progress, I mean like a really basic outline for just the next chapter. That's a lot of progress for me. It's been awhile since I've worked on this. And I'm sorry for that. But I've been putting more effort to make longer chapters than the first few I've put out.

I'm pretty optimistic for this story, I have a feeling I might get the next chapter up by this month. The latest will be like next month. I still don't know how long I want this story to be, but I want to say for certain that I can see myself making about 5-10 more chapters. Really depending on how complete I feel the story is. Also I really want to thank everyone who has followed this story! 100+ followers! Meaning that there are 100+ people who are actually interested in what I create, so thank you! It really means a lot to me. And thank you to everyone who reviewed, everything that you all say encourages me to write more and I learn from critique.

Til next time dudes!


	10. Sorry: Part One

A mess of tissues were littered in on the side of the couch Lucy sat on. Opposite to the blonde, was her shoulder to cry on and the holder of her tissue box, Levy. The pair had stayed together until the afternoon. They laid on the couch eating ice cream and ramen noodles while venting and watching nature documentaries, which were very calming to Lucy. Looking at the time, Lucy realized that her best friend had work soon meaning that she would have to go. She then got up from her spot to hug her friend to show her appreciation.

"Hey Levy?"

Levy a bit surprised by the action, "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

She smiled and returned the embrace, "Anytime".

"What do I do now?", distress apparent in Lucy's voice

"Well for starters, you should probably clean up", Levy said quite candidly

Separating from their hug, Lucy pouted but began to gather her tissues, "Well yeah that, but I mean.. The whole thing with Natsu"

Levy grabbed the bowls of noodles and tubs of ice cream and carried them to the sink, "That's really up to you Lu. I honestly think that you should be asking yourself about what you want."

"But that's been my main issue here Levy. I don't know what I want", Lucy clearly conflicted as she dropped her used tissues in to her wastebin.

"Tell you what", Levy went to her purse to pull out a coin, "Let the penny choose for you"

"A coin toss?"

"Just trust me on this okay?"

"Fine. "

"Natsu is heads, Dan is tails", Levy flipped the coin into the air. As it fell, Levy caught it and placed it on the back of her hand. She lifted her palm to reveal the side the coin had landed, "Tails."

Lucy had let out a sigh of disappointment and picked up Happy to place him on her lap.

Levy smiled, "See you knew all along". The blonde had a look of confusion across her face. "Lu, obviously the coin really wasn't going to choose for you. The coin just made what you want clear". It was amusing to watch the cogs turn inside Lucy's mind as she gently scratched Happy on his soft head. Walking up to her friend, Levy placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "It's gonna be okay. Just make sure you really think about what you do next and you'll be fine."

Grabbing her bag and other belongings, Levy prepared to leave with Lucy following behind her. Levy reached the door, but turned to give Lucy one last piece of advice. "Lu?"

"Yeah?"

"Even though I don't know what is going on in Natsu's mind right now. I know that he is always going to love you."

There was a pregnant pause in the air. "I hope so", Lucy spoke up softly

Levy gave her friend one last hug before walking out the door leaving Lucy to her own devices.

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Natsu walked into the gym listening to the repetitive sounds of leather gloves hitting a duct tape covered punching bag. He climbed over the ropes into the ring and set up at his corner.

"Yo Natsu! Already getting back in the gym? Shouldn't you be relaxing from all the deals you've been signing last night?", Gray shouted from beside the large punching bag at the side of the gym.

"You heard?", Natsu shouted back as he tightened the laces on his shoes.

Gray stopped his movements to speak up more clearly, "Who doesn't! It was pretty obvious with how you were talking to that bougie ass old dude you were talking to in the locker room last night", the dark haired man grabbed his water bottle to rehydrate a bit, "How's it feel to be a professional boxer?"

Natsu, with one glove on, scoffed and rested his elbow on the edge of the ring, "I haven't even gotten my first pay-per-view fight on TV yet, I can hardly call myself a professional yet"

"Well I would consider you a pro", Natsu raised a brow at Gray's comment, it wasn't usual to receive a straightforward compliment from his friend. "A professional asshat", Gray grinned.

 _Now that makes more sense._ Natsu held his other glove under his armpit as he grabbed his mouthguard. Natsu smiled at the joke, "Yeah well, at least I'm a professional at something. You on the other hand, have no title". Once he finished speaking he put in the red horseshoe shaped piece into his mouth.

Gray, becoming a bit irate, retorted back. He picked up his towel and his water bottle to head into the ring with Natsu. "Aye not yet alright ya prick, plus you got lucky last night. I have just as much skill and stamina to be a professional boxer as you, if not better", a stern strong on Gray's face look stared at Natsu.

"Prove it", Natsu spoke through his mouthguard.

After climbing through the ropes and putting in his dental protection, Gray and Natsu began to circle around each other on the antique canvas flooring of the boxing ring. Nearing each other as they continued to walk around, they bumped gloves and got into their stances.

The energy between the young boxers was intense and rapidly rising. Their skill level and experience making them an even match for each other. Though comparing the fighters, Gray has a better defense whereas Natsu tends to get a bit punch drunk.

Natsu was the first to throw punches, but Gray held his gloves over his face blocking the hits. With a boost of energy, Natsu let out a fury of punches pushing Gray into the ropes. Finding an opening, Gray unguarded himself and shot his left hand out and into Natsu's face. Natsu saw this, but he was only able to soften the punch a little by using his shoulder to protect his face. The pink haired fighter lost his footing and was pushed back a bit. Gray was able to gain back his footing while Natsu was dazed. In Natsu's off state, Gray quickly went in for multiple jabs across Natsu's body. It was only until after Gray's sudden offense did Natsu come to his senses. He was able to block some of Gray's punches once he had fully recovered from his daze.

Both fighters light on their feet, smirked at each other in a knowing gaze that they have perfected over years of sparring with each other. They continued to pivot and stride around each other's punches, the two knowing very well how the other fights. Their rivalry battle continued for a good hour and a half leaving the boxers laying down in the ring breathing hard after giving it their all.

Natsu laid his arm across his face, and in a tired breath he spoke, "I got you down first"

Gray who was laying next to him, as equally as tired, kicked him weakly. "Fucker, you hit the ground before me"

In reality, the two had tuckered themselves out and just fell onto the canvas. Natsu had figured that now was probably the best time to tell Gray. Breaking the sound of their panting, Natsu decided that a tired Gray was easier to talk to.

"I'm moving in a week", Natsu said as he looked up at the ceiling

Gray turned his head to look at his best friend in disbelief, "What?"

"I'm moving to Alvarez to train professionally"

"Why so soon?"

"Cuz I asked to. For awhile now, I felt like I didn't really have place here anymore. I thought I could try and fix how I was feeling, but things just didn't turn out like I thought they would. I just felt like that I couldn't really tell anyone, not even Lucy knew", Gray listened to the somber tone of Natsu's voice hearing the hurt his friend was feeling.

"Why didn't you tell anyone, we could've helped you. If you were going through a rough patch, you could've at least told me or Lucy.", Gray tried to argue

"No. I knew how to fix the problem, I just didn't have the opportunity to until recently. I need this. I need to change the way I'm living my life right now. Including the people I'm around"

"So you're just gonna leave everyone behind, just because you're a 'professional boxer' now", Gray sat up and scoffed.

"Of course not! I meant that I still need to grow up. And I need to do that by myself in a different city around different people. I would never just leave you guys behind. This gym and the old man have made me who I am", Natsu explained and got up. "You can't expect me to stay in this city forever, I need to figure some stuff out on my own. Then when I'm ready, I'll come back to visit"

Looking down at his rival, who was currently brooding, Natsu reached out a hand to help Gray stand up.

Gray stared at Natsu's hand for a moment, but reluctantly took his hand and stood up. "Hey, don't think just cuz you'll be living far away doesn't mean you don't have to get me presents for my birthday and christmas alright?"

Laughing, the two grabbed each others hand and went in for the stereotypical bro-hug. "There's something called _online shopping_ , Imma amazon prime that shit to you"

After their laughs they began to pick up their things and exit the ring, but Gray still had one lingering question on his mind. "So what's gonna happen with you and Lucy?"

Natsu took a deep breath and paused for a few seconds. "We broke up"

"Are you serious?", Natsu continued to surprise Gray that afternoon. "Weren't you guys dancing last night? You guys looked pretty happy together"

"I just wanted to dance with her like it was the last time I was going to, and it was", Natsu simply put it.

Seeing the expression on Natsu's face that held much more meaning than his words, Gray understood. "So what are we gonna do for your going away party?", Gray joshed to lighten up the mood.

The corners of Natsu's mouth perked up, "Nah man, I don't really want to party. But that doesn't mean I don't want to drink."

"That's perfect dude, we can just meet up with everyone at the pub and-", Gray was cut off mid sentence by Natsu

"Actually, I was thinking just the guys. I feel like if the girls go, then Levy would be inclined to invite her best friend. And I think it'd be better if we didn't see each other for awhile", Natsu clarified.

"I get it dude, but I'm pretty sure Erza and Mira would beat your ass if you left and didn't say 'goodbye'"

"I figured they would so I was just planning to see them personally like having a lunch with them or something."

"But what about Cana, she's gonna be pissed that we're drinking without her"

"Oh no she's the exception. If it's gonna be my last night with you guys, then I might as well try to out drink her"

"Hold up, you think you can out drink her? You can't even out drink me."

Natsu quirked a brow, "Yes I have. Quarto Ceberus."

"What?! No you didn't", Gray argued back. He had very little memory of that night, but the next day he woke up at Juvia's and found that there was some graffiti on his butt.

"Yes I did, you passed out naked on and Lyon drew a dick on your asscheek and I was laughing my ass off when he did."

"Fucking Lyon! He did that?! That cunt"

"Told ya."

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Lucy had called in sick for work after Levy left. She was too emotionally drained to deal with her shitty boss and customers that really tested her patience. She laid on the couch with Happy on her lap, staring mindlessly at the ceiling while the television continued to stream shows.

Natsu filled her mind completely. She desperately wanted to talk to him. To give him a better apology. To explain herself. To tell him that he deserved so much more than what she had done to him.

But she couldn't. She had felt like she lost the right to speak to him. Not after all the pain she had caused him. Uttering another word to him would only hurt Natsu more. Lucy's mind was flooded with so many thoughts and words about Natsu. And yet, she felt that it wasn't enough to just apologize. She didn't even feel like she deserved his forgiveness. There was nothing she could say that would make the situation better.

Lucy sat up and removed Happy from her lap, the warmth of his body quickly replaced by the cool air. When her foot had met the soft material of the carpet, the sole of her right foot was met with something cold. Underneath was a penny.

The blonde picked it up and stared at it. She was reminded of her earlier conversation with Levy and the outcome of the coin toss.

She had to break up with Dan. But she began to overthink the decision. It was only yesterday that Natsu had broken up with her, then the next day she breaks up with Dan. It had felt like breaking up with Dan would be meaningless. She wanted to do it, but she didn't think it would do much. What would happen after breaking up with Dan? It's not like things would magically fix itself and Lucy would end up living happily ever after . Life wasn't exactly a fairytale. Natsu won't just come back with open arms if she broke up with Dan. If she broke up with Dan, then it would mean she would be alone again. And that terrified her.

She was so scared of being alone, and that fear took a strong hold of her life. Fear tended to make people do irrational things without realizing the damages and harm of their actions. And Natsu just happened to be a victim of that.

Lucy glared back at the penny and took a deep breath, "Fuck". The blonde turned off the television and strode into her room. About ten minutes later, Lucy walks out of her room wearing a heather grey hoodie with a blue denim jacket and black jeans. She began to walk around the apartment to tidy up a bit before she left. Lucy's eyes were stern as refilled Happy's food and water bowl. She was trying to work out the words she wanted to say to Dan when she saw him. After making sure all the lights were off and her mess cleaned, Lucy put on her socks and shoes. She grabbed her phone, wallet, and keys and headed toward the door, but before she got close to twisting the doorknob, Happy rubbed himself against Lucy's calf.

The blonde bent down to run her hand through Happy's soft fur, and in a tender voice she spoke, "I'll make this right"

^v^v^v^v^v^v^

Lucy paced around in the elevator in practicing what she would say to Dan. "I can't do this anymore. This is wrong.", she said to herself. "This was a mistake in so many ways"

"Even though you hurt me in the past, and I've forgiven you for it, I just don't think I can keep doing this with you-", the elevator dinged and the doors opened on the level Lucy had been waiting for.

She walked down the hall and stopped at Dan's door. Lucy was going to knock, but saw that the door wasn't totally closed. What further confused her was that there was music coming from inside. Lucy pushed the door open and walked in and the music became louder. The song was slow and sensual with good bass and something with Drake.

" _Of course he would."_ , Lucy thought to herself

As she walked further into the apartment, a distinct sound became apparent as she neared the door to Dan's bedroom.

Voices and moans seeped from the room. One was Dan's and the other she didn't know. But it was a very feminine voice for sure.

Lucy stood still when she heard Dan's voice come from the room, "Hey I'll be right back okay?".

Dan walked of the room in his underwear and was shocked to find Lucy in his apartment, "LUCY?! I thought you worked tonight?"

"I called in sick.", her voice oddly calm.

Dan was clearly uneasy and a bit shaky, "H-how'd you get in here?"

"You left door open"

From inside his room a voice shouted, "Dan! Who's there?"

"Yeah Dan who is here?", Lucy retorted loudly. Lucy's usual soft look in her eyes were replaced by a hardened glare that burned holes into Dan's skull

"Uhh…"

A girl with long white hair walked out in her underwear and one of Dan's shirts. She walked up behind Dan and put her hand on her hip with a look of irritation. "Who's this?"

"Uhhh… Angel… this is Lucy. Lucy, Angel", he said meekly. "Umm… it looks like I should get that door fixed", Lucy felt a Dan hadn't seen it, but Lucy's fist had gradually tightened the more Dan talked.

You know what I'll just make this quick", Lucy said with her fist tightened. Dan looked over to Lucy and saw her pull her right arm back. Before he could move out of the way, his nose had met the knuckles of Lucy's hand.

Dan keeled over holding onto his nose with tears in his eyes, "WHAT THE FUCK LUCY?!"

The girl, Angel, had watched with a bit of amusement and retreated back into the room, "Pathetic."

Ignoring the girl, Lucy knelt down to Dan's level, "Go fuck yourself. We're done". The blonde stood back up and began walked back out of the apartment.

"FINE. FUCK YOU TOO BITCH. GODDAMN CUNT", Dan had yelled from his position on his wooden floors.

The blonde left the apartment with bruised knuckles and with whatever pride she had left in her. "Fool me once…", she said lowly. Getting inside of the elevator, Lucy took out her phone and began to text Cana who immediately texted back.

 _L: Wyd? Wanna get drinks?_

 _C: I'm at Makarov's bar, it's ladies night :))_

 _L: I'll be there in 10._

Back inside Dan's apartment, Dan had moved to his kitchen area holding a paper towel and a bag of ice over his face. Angel had walked back out of the room once more, fully dressed in her own clothes, and headed straight for Dan.

"Angel! Babe. I'm so sorry you had to see that", he tried to explain himself but yet again, he had not seen the the high heeled covered foot coming.

The white haired woman had kicked him directly in his crotch, and left Dan to curl up into a ball on the tiled floor.

"Bye Dan.", Angel smiled. Without another word, she left the apartment in a manner similar to Lucy's earlier stride. All whilst Dan cursed to himself as he cupped his hands over his damaged goods.

* * *

A/N: Wow would you look at that, it's still January and I'm posting a chapter like I said I would for once. Thanks 2018 you aren't totally shit so far. I hope you guys are doing well too. Anywho, I'm splitting this up into 2 parts! I wanted to include that here but it would've passed january and I wanted to keep that goal of posting this month and I didn't want to rush the story. I hoped you guys liked it, despite the fact that I barely edited this. I can't predict when the next chapter will come because school is starting back up again for me so I'll try my best to get the rest out in the best quality I can give.

And to those who reviewed! Thank you so much!

 _Superhyoga:_ I can say for sure that I won't be writing about any other girl with Natsu, but maybe mentioned. I find those kinds of plots to be very amusing, but I think that Lucy in this story understands that she has no right to feel jealous about Natsu seeing other people now that they've broken up. Also it adds to the suffering. Just because she knows she shouldn't, doesn't mean she'll still feel it. Nothing sucks more when you see a person you still care about totally not talking to you and very much invested in someone else. yay.

 _YukiMC:_ I do not know chinese, but I did save a packet on learning Mandarin from 7th grade that I saved, and I thought it'd be cool to use it and not google translate.

 _KitAlbert07:_ Oh my god thank you for your input. Seriously. To know that my story had made you feel such a strong emotion really encourages me to make more stories. I personally want to write my own graphic novels and work as a storyboard artist, and don't apologize for reviewing so much, the reviews really encourage me to write more. Also The Script has been such an OG bad for so long.

 _To all who reviewed,Valythe, silver light of dawn, RollinWithCodineAndASwisha(bombass username btw), NecPossumTecumVivereNecSineTe, all the Guests!_ : Thanks a bunch everyone! Seeing some of your guy's reviews crack me up and really encourage me. I can see that you guys either hate Lucy or like seriously hate her. I'm happy to hear that I'm evoking such emotion with my writing. I think that's like a major goal of every writer, so thanks again!

If anyone has more music suggestions I'm really down for some. I like a wide variety of music, but atm I'm really digging a lot of 80's stuff like The Smiths or Hall and Oates, but I could listen to 2Pac anytime of day. Or if anyone is down to see my art, feel free to pm me. Stay tuned for more!


	11. UPDATE

Hey there to people who actually read this! I'm gonna rewrite (rework? just know that I mean a lot of changes, but some things won't change. Like the plot. Plot stays the same. Lucy cheats, Natsu leaves, and blah blahh blahh) this story because looking back somethings I wrote did not make sense to me. Like I still have the same vision for this story that I had years ago, but I wanna do it better. For awhile I just dismissed my mistakes because I really wanted to put out as much of the story as I could, but I really wasn't developing it enough. And I'd like to change that. For the time being I will not delete any chapters yet, I will do that once I have reworked at least five chapters and begin again with the stories because I wanna look back to it and see what I can improve from. I also may or may not have deleted the word docs for it.

And to Ehdhd: U rite fam, idk what i was doing. Ive kinda been knowing Lucy did a 180 there. But good news! I'm gonna actually write something that makes sense because 16 year old writer me was very flawed and 18 year old writer me has a better understanding of writing! And your review is kinda why I'm rewriting. I wanna write better just cuz u said that, so thank you for being critical. Criticism to me is always good when it is good or bad.

Also to the guest that reviewed and said that I was being sexist and implied that a crotch kick is domestic abuse: Look, I don't really give a shit if you call me sexist, because let's be fucking real. EVERYONE IS A LITTLE SEXIST. Not that I'm saying fuck every single dude out there. Yeah I understand NOT ALL MEN are trash, but understand why women have to exaggerate a little and say "All men" to get a man's attention. Seriously, guys get so defensive when that is said. Just chill for a bit and listen first. Discriminating based on gender is fucked and people struggle with that everyday (men and women), but when it comes to shit like "guy's night out" I think it's okay to separate based on gender because you can just find such a good bonding experience with people of the same gender. BUT to say that Dan is a victim of DOMESTIC ABUSE is ridiculous and an insult to people who actually suffer from abuse. Abuse by definition is REPEATED cruelty and violence, whether it be physical or emotional. And if you're making an argument that Natsu has every right to hit Lucy because she cheated on him, YOU ARE FUCKING RIGHT HE DOES. BUT HE WON'T. CUZ THATS NOT WHO HE IS. But think about it though, put those two in a ring, they could really rough each other up. I just don't think that logic is okay when one person is physically larger and stronger than someone else. Like obviously if you have this really buff ripped person (guy or girl) fighting someone scrawny or small with little chances of defending themselves compared to them, then obviously that scrawny person is gonna lose. Fight fair ya know? Also I think I'd fucking kick someone's fucking crotch if they cheated on me TWICE. Angel's a bitch tho. a baaaaad bitch.

Last thing! I already started reworking chapter 1! I also have spring break coming! So I'll try to get to it when the time comes so I can give you guys a better story.

Til next time! Auf wiedersehen!


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